Distraction Or Mood Booster: Can Music Improve Productivity If You Work From Home?
Many people work from home and must find a way to avoid procrastination. It’s good to know that music can help us with it, especially if we listen to our favorite tunes.
The world has changed in many different ways recently, and people choose to work remotely instead of going to the office. But, no matter what happens, we still love the music and often check if there are tickets for events available. Working remotely allows us to visit cities where special concerts happen and listen to our favorite melodies without affecting our co workers’ productivity.
Undoubtedly, music plays a significant part in our daily lives. People who don’t listen to music are rare, and often there is a reason why they avoid it.
And if you ask if music can improve your mood and enhance your work productivity, we are happy to announce that many researchers have proved it right.
In fact, music helps improve concentration, memory recall, creativity, motivation, and attention.
So, why not listen to music during your next task?
Does Listening to Music Improve Performance at Work?
Although music listening has many benefits, little has been done to study its impact on workplace performance. In recent years, however, researchers have investigated whether listening to music improves productivity and attention.
People who listen to music perform better at work and are more productive than those who don’t. This is because they tend to engage in activities such as problem-solving and decision-making.
In fact, they perform better at their jobs because of the higher energy levels and less stress as a direct result of listening to their favorite tunes.
Whether it’s relaxing or energizing, music affects us differently depending on the type of mood we want to create. If you’re stressed out at work, try listening to uplifting music to motivate you. Or, if you’re looking for something soothing, choose relaxing tunes.
You only have to take care not to overdo it. Too much music sometimes makes people uncomfortable and distracts them from their tasks. That means you need to find the balance between productivity, mood-boosting songs, and those who badly affect your overall performance.
Which Music Genres Boost Productivity?
There is no general answer to this question because it all depends on the listener’s preferences.
But, some surveys and research show that pop music is the most favorite for employees, and rock comes second. This is completely opposite of the theory that classical and chill-out music is the best productivity boosters.
There is even data that shows pop music is preferred by almost every general job position, like administrative job, manual labor, reading, or writing.
Some reports show many workers had conflicts with colleagues due to office music choices. The solution is to listen to music using your headphones.
If you work from home, you can listen to any genre you prefer, as loud as you like.
How Music Improves Our Working-From-Home Productivity?
Listening to certain types of music makes us feel happier, especially if the tune sounds happy. Sad songs tend to decrease our mood, which may result in procrastination.
When we’re stressed out, listening to upbeat music can help us relax and keep ourselves energized. Also, playing background music could enhance learning and thinking processes.
We are also more productive when we manage our anxiety better. Our favorite tunes can normalize the blood pressure and heart rate, making us calmer and less anxious.
Music also stimulates our brains in ways that lead to creative thinking. If we can think creatively, we are more likely to find better solutions to everyday work issues, especially while working from home, without the whole team around us.
Sometimes music helps you focus your attention on details. It engages both sides of the brain, so you need less effort to concentrate on a task. But, in some cases, music can be a distraction. If you feel like you can’t focus on your tasks, turn off the music and see if it gets better.
What to do if Music Makes You More Anxious?
People live through different situations every day. If you work from home, office, or coworking space and feel uncomfortable while listening to music, simply turn it off. Sometimes, we need complete silence to feel focused on the tasks.
Even though most people love music and gladly listen to it, including live events and concerts, some can’t handle the noise. Others may feel gloomy and anxious due to some melodies. So, if you feel like that, give yourself some silence.
Some people simply are more productive when there is no noise to distract them.
Final Thoughts
Music is a stress reliever, mood booster, and productivity enhancer for many people worldwide. If it improves your productivity while working remotely, feel free to enjoy your favorite tunes.
But if it distracts you, then you can simply work in silence.
