How music can increase your productivity
The optimal conditions to be productive in your work differ from individual to individual. Some people work best in a busy office or coffee shop, while others find it easier to focus when on their own, free from distractions.
One thing that seems to ring true for most is that music, however personalized, helps improve a worker’s output. There are even scientific studies showing that listening to music can improve both productivity and cognitive performance, especially in adults.
Boosted focus
Headphones or not, listening to music while working helps boost focus by blocking out distractions. Without having to split its focus between the work at hand and your coworker’s conversation, your brain is able to concentrate more effectively and get work done faster. This added focus can help improve your accuracy, interest in your work, and the time it takes to complete any task at hand.
Improved creativity
This deeper focus can also help improve overall creativity. Hunkering down and blocking out the outside world helps you brainstorm more efficiently by improving your divergent thought, a key element to exploring more avenues of creative thought. Increased creativity isn’t just a nice side benefit, either. It can also help increase your problem-solving abilities too.
Increased energy
Music can also improve your overall mood, boosting energy levels and your ability to produce high-quality work more efficiently. More energy can also help you feel more invested in your work and a part of your organization’s success, which will, in turn, increase your motivation to complete your projects to the best of your ability.
Better critical thinking
Research shows that listening to music also has the ability to improve performance and accuracy on cognitive tasks. The ability to tune out distractions and focus help you perform individual analyses and form more critical judgments. Ultimately, this helps improve critical thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and overall productivity.
The earlier you’re exposed to music, the more cognitive benefits you’ll reap in your work. Music can even enable students to work more productively and be better prepared for their careers by improving their critical thinking skills and overall academic performance.
Many business leaders see the power of music and its ability to impact others. Most allow or even encourage employees to use headphones at work or encourage shared playlists. Others bring live music to their office lobbies. And some, like American investor and philanthropist Robert F. Smith, see the benefit of it in the greater community and have been supporting organizations that work to improve accessibility to music education for years. No matter how they choose to do so, executives who recognize the impact that music can have on their workers and their communities are likely to see happier, more invested people.
Making music part of your routine
Experts recommend listening to lyric-free music that you enjoy every day. In truth, no genre is better than another. As long as you like the playlist and the music is blocking out distractions, it should boost your output. Try to make it a part of your daily routine and test to see how it impacts your work routine!
If you’re tracking your time using time tracking software like Timeular, you can easily add notes to your time entries and record the music you listen to when working on different activities. Then by analyzing your time tracking data you can see what type of music helps you become most productive. This is one of the several benefits of time tracking.
Looking for productivity tips?
Check out our handpicked selection of productivity podcasts, featuring expert guidance and inspiration from the likes of Tim Ferriss and Mike Vardy. They’ll help you find balance and achieve your goals during these uncertain times.
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