Music is Proven to Make You Productive at Work, But These Are The Things You Must Keep in Mind

Sometimes, you just want to shut the world out, plug your earphones, and enjoy your favorite songs. Who can relate? Of course, when things get overwhelming, it’s hard to focus on your task, which is why you need to find ways to combat stress.

It turns out, this technique isn’t just effective in putting you in a relaxed state, but it is also helpful in boosting your productivity – so, who doesn’t want to be productive at work?

Employers should definitely learn a thing or two from the many studies that showed workers who listened to music became more productive. After all, it’s low-cost and perhaps even free, a win-win situation for both sides. One research looked at software developers who listened to songs and found that their moods and problem-solving skills improved.

This might be because music can immediately make you feel better and almost instantly uplifts your mood, thanks to your body’s release of dopamine, a chemical that’s also called the feel-good hormone.

As a result, you become less anxious and stressed as your cortisone, commonly known as the stress hormone, lowers down. That’s how powerful music can be in your tasks, but there are things to keep in mind:

Preference

Needless to say, you should listen to music that you want. If you’re a big fan of Taylor Swift, then popping her songs would make you feel you’re in the zone.

However, if a coworker’s preference, for instance, the K-Pop genre, irritates you, then you won’t function well. This shows that what we prefer will ultimately create an environment that will help up finish our tasks.

Surgeons were less stressed when songs are played in the background

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the stress levels of surgeons went down when their preferred songs were played.

Consideration

Don’t go blasting your office with your favorite songs, you don’t know if other people like the genre you’re into. Plus, there are other employees who cannot work in a noisy environment.

In 1,000 workers surveyed, most of the respondents (71 percent) admitted they became productive, while 15 percent of them prefer accomplishing their tasks in silence.

Some people want to work in a quiet environment

Employers should be extremely considerate of introverts in the office, too, if they really want to boost their employees’ productivity. This is because these people may find background music as debilitating, psychologists from the University College London said.

Different Music

There are many types of music for different situations. For instance, it’s hard to resist upbeat songs, which lift the mood and make you feel energized.

It also somehow wakes your senses up, which is why it is best to listen to it when you’re tired – also ideal for workouts. A survey of UK surgeons found that 50 percent wanted rock songs played in the operating room.

The music you play will also vary on the difficulty of the task

However, this doesn’t mean that you should play rock songs all the time. This can be disruptive in certain tasks that would require focus like reading and understanding a presentation. That said, limit this in mundane, routine activities.