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Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.
music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents.
– Ludwig van Beethoven
Would you believe that listening to music can enhance your productivity, your focus and your creativity? It may sound like a whimsical question, but actually it is a relevant to saving time at work.
Quite frankly, I was surprised when I ran across several studies that verify that a lot of excellent things emerge from listening to music while working. These studies indicate the stimulus of music induces positive influences on performance. Let me share the gift of what I discovered with you:
- In experiments, it was found that there is a correlation between listening to background music while working on repetitive work and achieving greater productivity. Conversely, listening to music while attempting to learn new information actually harms your retention. However, if you’re performing work that requires a high level of mental intensity, music will enhance your abilities.
- Many, and I bet you do, too, find a noisy work environment distracting. Our office environment with its open office space design is getting louder ever day. However, according to research by Dr. Teresa Lesiuk, when listening to music, you’ll find yourself able to concentrate more fully, improve your cognitive performance, complete your tasks quickly, discover you’re a bit more creative and increase your work satisfaction. And it appears that music with lyrics is counter-productive as it reduces your ability to concentrate and pay attention.
- Your ability to select your own music, according to Lare Mann, a psychologist employed by Spotify, improves your work. And interestingly enough, studies have shown that listening to baroque music—that is 50 to 80 beats per minute—actually has a powerful brain enhancing quality that improves your performance.
I hope you find this research as thought provoking as I have. Is music a gift you may want to give yourself to be more productive, enhance your work and increase your creativity as well as all the other benefits you can attain? Well, if you do, check-in with your boss to see if wearing a headset to improve your concentration just may be the solution you’ve been searching for in the midst of your busy, chaotic, interruption prone business environment. Who would have thought… something that sings to your soul, also, expands production? Enjoy the gift!
