Music plays a huge role in our daily lives, whether that’s making our most memorable moments all the more meaningful or simply bringing to life the deepest emotions that we sometimes feel. Listening to music is something that every human on earth can connect to, but did you know that the right music can have a dramatic impact on your productivity?
Several studies have been conducted that show the efficacy of music as a tool to manage cognitive performance and boost productivity. Listening to music can help people stay in the present moment – a must for those moments of overwhelm – feel motivated and maintain productivity levels.
It’s well known that the top performers across all different fields listen to music in preparation for events. They’re not just distracting themselves with their favourite background noise; the music they’re listening to helps to hype them up and get them in the zone.
Even professional gamers get a boost from their soundtracks of choice. Poker player and writer Martin Harris, for example, selects ambient or experimental tunes when curating his playlists for pro poker games. Meanwhile, notable Korean eSports competitors have been known to crank up the K-Pop on occasion.
What Science Says
There's been plenty of research published on the relationship between cognitive function and music over the years. For example, programmers who listen to specific types of music when coding can work more effectively and with less stress than their colleagues who don’t. Even something as simple as mood-boosting music can directly relate to increased motivation and productivity.
According to one study published in Trends in Cognitive Science, music can lower the production of cortisol – aka the stress hormone – so much so that it can even be used in conjunction with medical intervention to relieve stress in patients.
Whistle While you Work
Maybe those dwarves had the right idea; whistling while you work really can make even the most mundane of tasks more bearable. Daniel Levitin, neuroscientist and author of This Is Your Brain on Music, has written extensively about the impact that music can have on making repetitive tasks more enjoyable.
This has been researched further by The JAMA Network. In one study, surgeons who were asked to perform repetitive lab tasks displayed improved performances while listening to music. Simply listening to music eased the perceived boredom the surgeons felt while performing these mechanical tasks, helping them to work with more enthusiasm.
Even a brief blast of music during work breaks can improve productivity. The Psychology of Music recently published a study that analysed the performances of music students who listened to music between tasks. Those who did were able to focus for longer stretches of time, resulting in a much better academic performance overall.
Creating a Playlist
If you feel inspired to set up some mood-boosting playlists to get you in the zone and ramp up your productivity, there are a few tips to take on board before you start to select your songs or tracks. While it could be tempting to load up a playlist with all your ride-or-die favourites, you will need to structure your playlist to maximise its motivation-boosting benefits.
The first few songs on your playlist should gently lull you into a state of productivity. Songs that have a peaceful or calming ambience are ideal for kicking things off; then, you can sprinkle in more upbeat songs for a motivational kick. According to music therapist Kirsten Nelson, The Beatles' classic, Here Comes the Sun, is a great playlist opener.
You should aim to build the playlist towards a power song, which should be paced at at least 121bpm. Faster track speeds can correlate with increased performance, so tracks of this tempo can often activate listeners more effectively than other tempos. The trick to selecting the ideal power song is to think about its energy; I Will Survive by Diana Ross is a great example to think of here.
You might also be the type of person who prefers lyric-less songs throughout your playlist rather than all your favourites. While listening to music you enjoy is important when it comes to motivation, it can sometimes be demotivational to listen to songs that are familiar lyrically. With procrastination knocking at the door, the last thing you want is to get distracted by songs you’re tempted to sing along to.
