Looking for ways to improve your productivity? Looking for a new source of inspiration? Why not try listening to some productive music? Music has a way of filling all those empty corners in you with motivation and inspiration, even if you’re at your lowest point. You might have realized that after listening to some music, you feel relaxed.
All that negativity weighing down on your shoulders has a way of disappearing when you listen to music. So, if you something is distracting you from what’s important in your life, grab a pair of earphones or crank up the volume on your stereo and listen to your favorite jams. It doesn’t take long to regain your focus, gain a new found confidence, and capture that elusive dream you’ve been following.
But how exactly does the combination of instrumental sounds and melodies bring about emotional and psychological change capable of making you more productive?
How Productive Music Works
Researchers found that people who listened to music while working completed their work faster than those that didn’t. What’s even more astonishing is the fact that the researcher also observed people who listened to music had better ideas in their work compared to those who did not.
That qualifies music as a productive tool, wouldn’t you say? But how does productive music work to make us better at completing tasks?
Plato once said, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” He was right, and now science knows exactly how music inspires us.
According to scientists, our ancestors developed music even before they could speak in the way we know it developed. That means they were singing well before they could communicate verbally. And in that, according to researchers, lies the neurological power of music.
Our brains are wired in such a way that music reverberates with our very souls. In fact, our mammalian middle ear developed in such a way that it only hears sound at specific frequencies. One of the frequencies it registers is the sound of human voice. So, the frequency mothers use to sing to their babies immediately registers with the baby even when the baby doesn’t understand speech.
That indicates our brains are highly attuned to rhythm. Music composers know this, and the most popular songs tend to exaggerate the rhythm our mothers used to soothe us when we were babies. That led to researchers concluding that music plays a large part in the development of our brains.
But not just any genre of music makes you productive. Some genres give pump you up, others make you feel mellow, and others make you more productive. Since we want to be more productive, let’s look at the kind of music you should listen to so as to improve yourself.
Here are 7 Ways That Music is Great For Productivity
1. Building Better Study Habits
You’ve seen how music helps you improve your memory, right? It also turns out music helps form better habits. When listening to music, your brain actively avoids all other forms of distractions apart from what you’re doing. If you go for jogs listening to music on your favorite player, you have an idea of how music can make you focused. Next time you’re sitting down for a study session, look for classical music for studying. You’ll note the difference.
2. Music Cures Boredom
Ever heard a track and you felt like a new wave of energy just came over you? That’s how music cures boredom. The next time you’re feeling out of it, listen to your favorite tracks and within no time, you’ll be full of energy.
3. Getting into That Flow
Have you ever reached a state of total concentration? Most people call it the “zone”. A state of utter concentration and energy. If you want to enter the “zone” easily, create an inspiring and comfy workplace, put on some appropriate music and wait for the magic to happen.
4. Minimize Distractions
Listening to music helps you avoid distractions. When you listen to music while studying, you won’t get tempted to look at your phone, chat with a couple of friends, or watch that movie you’ve been dying to watch. Our team of writers where you can get quick assignment help is always listening to music when working for this specific reason.
5. Social Skills
If you want to mingle, and get better at socializing, try and meet people when music is playing. Music has a way of making people drop their guard and feel more relaxed. That means it is easier to talk to them. You can even use the music as an icebreaker. Just walk up to someone and ask them if they know the name of the song that’s playing. Chances are, the conversation will carry over to other topics and you’ll have made a new friend.
6. Enhance Your Mood
Music is a great mood enhancer. Those melodies speak to your primal brain activating all sorts of chemical changes in your brain that improve your mood.
7. Improving Your Memory with Music
There are lots of ways you can improve your memory like eating less sugar and getting enough sleep. Some are easy, like the two just mentioned earlier, and others are extremely hard, like training your brain.
Listening to music is one of the easiest ways to improve your memory. When you listen to music and actually participate (maybe by singing along), something happens to your brain. The part of your brain that controls language and memory lights up.
Since we remember through visual, audio, and oratory references, music helps improve your memory. In fact, when listening to concentration music, you not only avoid distractions, but you also help your brain form new memories faster.
So, if you want to improve your productivity, next time you sit down at the study table, put on some appropriate music. Remember, different music genres have different effects on your brain. If you listen to club music while studying, you get pumped up, but not for your studies.
If you get that classical music for studying though, you’ll greatly improve your concentration and memory. When hanging out with your friends, you might also want to have some music playing to keep everyone relaxed and social.
Watch this space for updates in the Opinion category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
Like what you just read? Join The Wolf Pack! Subscribe To Our Newsletter.
Explore our website, check out our Featured Articles or scroll down to see the articles that are related to this article below. We've been around since 2008, so there's plenty of content.
If you're in South Africa and looking for something to do, check out The SA Gig Guide (on our sister site SA Music Zone).
If getting more knowledge is part of your DNA - Check out the latest posts on Interesting Facts.