Why music can help you when working

Music is an aspect of life loved universally, but when it comes to working with music, it can go one of two ways. However, I'm going to share why I think music is a good thing when it comes to work.

I was having a conversation the other day with my sister about working to music. It came about because we both work from home and our offices are next door to each other.

During a typical working day, we both work in silence in the morning, unless our work requires us to listen to an audio. However, after lunch, I tend to open up Spotify and play some music in the background to work to.

For some reason having music playing in the afternoons makes me work more efficiently as opposed to working in silence. I've always known silence is not something I prefer, so music always makes an appearance. But it's not the same for everyone.

My sister shared a post about working to music on LinkedIn and it got a big response with varied answers of some people having to work in silence and some working with different kinds of music in the background.

Those who said they didn't mind working to music mentioned the types of music they had in the background, which typically included instrumental musical or classical music. One of my sister's LinkedIn friends even admitted that she sometimes puts on a TV show that she's seen lots of times before because she knows she doesn't have to concentrate on it. It's "Brainless Activity Distraction".

For me, in the build-up to Christmas, I play some festive music including songs such as Angels We Have Heard On High or Little Drummer Boy. But the songs I play tend to be quite mellow and slow in tempo. My go-to artists are James Blunt, Lewis Capaldi and Dermot Kennedy, but sometimes I do mix it up a little.

However, this November, as I've been completing NaNoWriMo, I made a playlist of songs that I can relate to my characters and the plot of my novel. So, each day when I'm writing for NaNoWriMo, I'll play that playlist and it'll help get me in the zone and embrace the world I'm not crafting.

Because I'm someone who thrives with music in the afternoons whilst I work, I wanted to share some benefits of listening to music whilst you work to inspire you and maybe help as well.

Affects your cortisol levels - for the better

Music is such a powerful tool in our lives that I don't think some people realise. For me, I have a playlist for nearly every emotion because music can affect how we feel. And for some, it's a way to release stress.

But whilst you're working, if you play some soothing music - it doesn't have to have lyrics, it could be Experience by Ludovico Einaudi - it can help calm you and lower your blood pressure, which in turn will lower your cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

And nobody wants to be stressed at work because then we don't do our best job.

Reduces burnout

This point kind of relates to the one above. Having music on in the background engages your brain whilst working, which can result in you feeling more satisfied and more productive.

With the feelings of satisfaction and wanting to be more productive, it can reduce burnout - and stress - meaning that you work more effectively, but also take care of yourself so you aren't doing too much.

A beat for your work

Depending on the work you do, it can be useful to have a rhythm or a beat to work to, especially if you're job is a physical job. But I find this works for me even when I'm at my laptop.

Soothing, mellow music helps calm you, but some upbeat, funky music can give you a burst of energy, get that blood pumping and provide a beat for you to work to.

But be careful you don't choose songs that make you want to abandon your tasks to get up and dance the night away.

Distracts from other distractions

When you're working surrounded by colleagues, or even if you work in an office by yourself, there are so many things you can easily be distracted by. For example, there may be building work being done nearby, colleagues talking on the phone, or things happening outside your building that are drawing your attention.

But if you have music playing, with or without headphones, then it can help you refocus because it'll draw your attention to your work, stopping you from getting distracted by other less important things.

If you can't work with music in the background, then thank you for taking the time to read my post. But if you do sometimes work with music, or are thinking about trying it, then I hope these benefits have inspired you to give it a go/continue listening.

Until next time...