The Effects of Music on Productivity
From boosting motivation while working out, to helping us wind down after a long day, music plays a central role in our everyday lives.
We've become so connected to our favourite songs and playlists that it's no surprise that listening to music can give us a motivational boost. In fact, we recently carried out a survey* that revealed that 38% of people believe that music increases their productivity and 46% said they listen to music to feel motivated while working. There's science to support these claims too - numerous studies have looked at the link between music and productivity, with very interesting results.
Whether you’re at your computer at work, or doing a spring clean at home, here’s how music can help boost your productivity.
Music and the Brain
It's long been established that music has a direct effect on the brain, so much so that there's a specific area of research tasked with learning exactly how the two are linked. Neuromusicology looks at the ways that our nervous system reacts to music, and the physiological changes that occur because of it.
While the science behind neuromusicology can be pretty complex, the simplest way to describe it is that when music enters our inner ear it stimulates numerous different parts of our brain, causing a change in our emotions or our cognitive ability. It's been discovered that the number of areas in the brain triggered by music varies from person to person, but it's fair to say that music can have a profound effect on our minds; including how motivated we feel.
Music Boosts Productivity: The Evidence
Over the years there have been plenty of studies exploring the impact that music has on our productivity - far too many to list here - so here is a look at some of the most notable research.
A study by University of Miami professor Dr. Teresa Lesiuk looked at how music can affect workplace performance. Software developers were monitored at work for five weeks, and the results showed that those who listened to music were quicker to complete their tasks and more creative with their ideas.
Classical radio station Scala collaborated with psychologist Dr Becky Spelman in another workplace productivity study. Office workers were given a task of transcribing 600 words of music lyrics, one group in silence and the other listening to classical music. The results found that those listening to music were 15% more productive than those working in silence.
In a study led by sports psychologist Dr. Costas Karageorghis, researchers found that music helped improve physical performance in athletes. Participants were divided into two groups; one that listened to music while running on a treadmill, and one that did so in silence. The results revealed that those who had listened to music were able to exercise harder and for longer, with a 15% increase in time-to-exhaustion over those who had exercised in silence.
How Music Makes You More Productive
Improves Cognitive Function
Listening to music stimulates the pleasure centre in our brain, and on its journey to reach this area, the orbital frontal cortex - aka our thinking centre - is activated. This gives us improved problem solving and helps us to think more creatively - giving our productivity a nice big boost.
Music has also been found to improve spatial-temporal reasoning, albeit temporarily. This also helps boost our productivity as it enables us to imagine 3D shapes and objects more clearly, allowing us to think ahead and come up with solutions to complex problems. It's been found that the effect only lasts for around 15 minutes, though, so you'll have to act quickly to see the benefit!
Fewer Outside Distractions
It's no big surprise that one of the main ways music aids our productivity is by blocking out other sounds - and of course this is particularly true when we listen through headphones. Whether it's people chatting next to you, or the constant ringing of phones and photocopiers, music can act as a kind of white noise to help us focus on the task in hand and therefore get more done.
Interestingly, music is sometimes used for the opposite effect. Instead of being used to cancel out noise, it helps to avoid silence. Our survey found that half of the people listen to music while working from home do so to fill the silence of working alone.
Reduces Stress
Numerous studies have shown that music has great stress-relieving effects. In one particularly intriguing study involving hospital patients, half of the participants listened to music while undergoing minor surgery. The results revealed that those who listened to music had lower rates of anxiety, blood pressure and heart rates, compared with those who did not.
When we're stressed it can be hard for us to think clearly and to make rational decisions. The fact that music helps to reduce stress therefore makes it very useful when we need to work efficiently and be on our game.
Boosts Mood
Listening to music is great for giving our mood a boost. It helps to stimulate the release of the feel-good chemical, dopamine, in the reward area of the brain. This gives us the same warm buzz as eating a delicious dessert would, or looking at a beautiful sunset. Therefore, music is sometimes used as a part of therapy as a result of this.
In the ISO technique, therapists use different songs to alter the patient's mood, starting with a piece that reflects their current feelings and slowly changing the music until the person feels more positive. Being in a good mood means we're more receptive to information and can also work through problems more efficiently - both very important for staying productive.
Music is a great tool for boosting motivation and productivity, whether you’re working from home or going out for a run. Not only is it stress-busting and brain-boosting, it also helps to drown out all of the potential distractions around us. If you’re looking to use the power of music to its full advantage, you’ll probably want to listen through headphones or earphones. As well as cancelling out external noise, a pair of good quality, well-designed headphones or earphones – such as the S500W true wireless earbuds – will create a much more immersive listening experience, helping to boost your mood and power through the task in hand.
* Survey of 2000 Employed UK Adults, carried out in March 2020 by Panasonic UK
