It’s human nature to get distracted by little things around us. I can relate to it pretty well because I get very easily distracted from my work. Millions of things are going around in the office and I am usually susceptible to fall prey to them.
This post will shed light on how to use music to increase productivity:
Distractions at work
Someone talking on the phone call. A group of people gossiping around. People cursing the boss for being rude. Frustrated co-workers and interruptions from other noises. Self-distracting thoughts like being angry with the boss, co-worker or significant other.
“A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind”. People spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing, and this mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy.
It actually becomes a little difficult to avoid these distractions and stay productive all day long. So, to avoid these uncontrollable distractions, I wear my earplugs that permit me to get more immersed into my tasks and create a bubble that weakens these distractions.
Music is the weapon to ward off these distractions
I like listening to music when I find myself losing focus at work but at the same time wearing ear earphones does not mean I am isolating myself and not being a team player. It’s just that I want to keep a distance from constant noises that destroys my focus and deal with the daily office grind, thus boosting my productivity.
Music is becoming an important part of the modern place workplace and the workers are also able to work more calmly, at times more energetically (depending on the type of music) and more attentive.
What to listen?
But the question worth asking is after all among the various types of music which ones are the best for you and which of them can even create more distractions that are difficult to pull away from.
Listening to sound of nature, sounds of water, mountain stream sound or white noise can enhance cognitive functioning, increase the ability to concentrate, more abstract thinking and increasing overall worker satisfaction.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute discovered that adding a natural element could boost moods and focus at work. For instance, singer-songwriter music demands a large amount of attention as it relies on its lyrics.
Music styles
There are a few music style that will go well with your type of work. Here’s a list:
Classical music
This music style is for those who work on numbers or attention to minute details like solving a mathematics problem. It is also the second best genre for accurate results and spell check.
Pop music
So, if your work mainly involves data entry or meeting deadlines, listen to pop music. For spell check and fastest overall performance of getting work done, pop music is found to be the best music genre.
Dance music
If your work involves proofreading and problem solving, dance music is the best for you for fastest performance across a range of work tasks. It will help in increased proof-reading speed by 20pc and will help in completing abstract reasoning tasks more quickly.
Instrumental music
If you do not want lyrics to disturb you, listen to instrumental music. It will far less distracting and will allow your mind to drift and pay no attention to vocal melodies as they can be so effective in getting in the way of productivity when you are working.
How does it benefit?
Now as you know the kind of music you would listen to according to your kind of work, let’s have a brief on how listening to music can have a beneficial effect on workplace performance.
Listening to music releases a sense of joy with the release of a chemical called dopamine, which is typically also released when a person gets to eat their favorite piece of food and when a person experiences a first kiss with a new partner. The same feeling also occurs when one listens to music which makes them turn happy.
Effect on workplace productivity
This is how it will affect your workplace productivity:
Bored? Music Will Ease Your Boredom
Sometimes it becomes really difficult to avoid office boredom that kills your productivity brutally. But when you have got music plugged into your ears or background music, the mind will be fed something interesting apart from work. This helps to reduce boredom and you will be able to tackle tasks more properly.
Repetitive tasks? Music Will Bring Back Your Focus
When your daily tasks seem to clearly define and are repetitive like answering emails etc. music should be definitely at hand. Music has been found quite effective in bringing productive output. In a study, it was explored how assembly workers engaged in repetitive tasks displayed signs of increased happiness while listening to music
Zero creativity? Music Will Inspires You
It is the time of the day when your brain goes on “do not disturb” mode. No creative ideas striking off your mind. Those who have found themselves going through this would realize how frustrating their experience would have been. Music will be an inspiration when you would try to come up with a solution to a difficult problem.
Tired brain? Music Will Make You Stress-free
No matter how much you love your job, how much you love working, there is always a possibility of running into stress at a time. So, better not to fall into the pit of stress that will result in negative effects on your work. Listening to music can be a great way to reduce stress and turn the most hectic days to easy going days.
What do you think of music at work? Every human emotion that could be possibly surrounding us is encompassed in music. You are the only one who can bring in accountability to your own self and your work.
