Why listening to music makes you work better

How is it that for some people hearing music stimulates their workflow? We all have some acquaintances that say they can work better with music in the background. To be honest I am one of those people. But why is that music does this to us.

Cancel out the noise

A clock that is ticking, a phone that is ringing, or your pet that keeps making noise. We all know there’s nothing worse than being surrounded by sounds and distractions when you are working. Drowning that noise can help you get back in the zone. And what better way is there to cancel the noise out than by listening to your favorite artist of the moment.

Working tempo

Music makes you work faster. How do you ask? Well, it is proven that listening to music helps you improve the efficiency of a task that you have performed multiples times. When we do these kinds of chores, we sometimes begin overthinking certain elements of the work and get stuck in our own heads. This results in lost time that could’ve been spent someplace better.

Good mood equals good work

Some say that people in a good mood deliver better work. What better way is there to get in a good mood than by listening to a great song. Teresa Lesiuk, associate professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Miami, says that 90 percent of the time people have positive experiences when listening to music and that this puts them in a positive mood. And I think we can all agree that being in this frame of mind can be helpful while getting a job done.

Mozart or Steve Aoki?

Studies show that music with lyrics can become distracting. This is something we can all envision. You are getting your work done and suddenly you hear one of your favorite songs of the moment. Nobody can withhold himself, you just need to sing along and stop working for a moment. This will bring you in a happy mood, but also keep you a moment from doing your work. (But is that really so bad?)

For the people who get distracted quickly, instrumental music is the way to go. This is the kind of music made of only instrument sounds. So, image ‘… Baby one more time’ but instead of a pop song, it is made as a classical song and without the vocals of Britney Spears.

Music for all

So, the next time you feel that you are not in the zone and keep getting distracted by your surroundings, try looking for an instrumental version of a favorite song of yours and test the theory out for yourself.

Here is a personal favorite of mine that keeps me focused and makes sure that I’m calm and stress-free while doing big projects.