Work is like climbing a mountain. The problem is this mountain takes a lifetime to climb. Confounding things, you have to climb every day, day after day (from Mondays to Fridays for most), until such time your body is far past its peak. By then, you will have to retire. As you can see, work by nature is stressful. As you are wont to find, the more you desire to move up in your career, the greater the stress you’re bound to encounter. Timely research in 2019 shows 9 % of Americans report being stressed at work.
The problem with stress is it can drastically affect the quality of one’s work. Worse, not only will stress affect employee work output, but also push people to leave their jobs, as 16% of workers in the research did.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have music. For many, music is a hobby that allows them to express themselves and their sentiment. But you should take a more serious look at the benefits of music when it comes to your career. Studies have shown music is a great tool to minimize the destructive nature of stress at work. One song aptly title “Weightless”, for instance, can reduce your stress by as much as 65%.
True enough, there’s more to music than meets your ears. Listed below are five of the most compelling reasons you should incorporate music into your daily work routine. Indeed, the more music you can let into your life, the better your career should be.
Elevate Your Mood
Music is a great way to increase the function of your brain. Comprehensive research by MARCS Institute on the Brain and Its Behavior revealed that music not only increases one’s memory and retention but also maximizes learning capabilities.
Know that the brain has a lot to do with your emotions. It’s our brains that trigger a particular emotion. And this is where music can be a great way to help elevate your mood. Listening to music elicits positive and optimistic feelings.
So if you’re feeling down any time of the day while in the office, tuning in to your favorite tunes can help bring about a positive mood for you. Those bright musical tones along with familiar lyrics can empower your workday ahead. It’s also for this reason that making a habit of listening to vibrant music when you wake is wise.
Reduce Stress
Music has the ability to soothe you when you’re stressed. Indeed, it has a profound effect on your body’s emotions. Listening to faster music can help you concentrate and focus better. Upbeat tunes can induce optimism in your life’s outlook.
If you want to feel relaxed, listening to a slower tempo should work wonders for you. It can make you feel soothed and in the process release the day’s stress.
Even better, you can also release stress by playing musical instruments. Drumming, for instance, can induce deep relaxation while lowering your blood pressure. Plus, drumming promotes the timely production of endorphins, the body’s “feel-good” hormones.
In this regard, taking drum lessons should be wise. Fortunately, many top drum tutors today offer online and in-person classes for your convenience.
Improve Focus
It’s hard to be productive if you can’t focus. You’re bound to commit mistakes while working without being able to put your mind on the task at hand. Ultimately, if that continues, you can lose your job.
One of the key benefits of listening to music is it can help you attain focus. Many times, especially if you’re in a noisy environment, concentrating on the activity at hand, be it research or doing math work, is hard. But putting on a pair of headphones with music on should help you get things done better at a faster rate.
It must be emphasized that you need to find a particular type of music towards this end. While rock music may be calming for some, others may zone out when loud beats are being played.
In addition, you should also be aware that not everyone in the office would love to hear your fave tunes. So don’t play music out loud without asking express permission from your superiors or colleagues.
Battle Depression
Mental health is a top concern these days now that the virus is pummeling America. Statistics show about 4 in every 10 American adults have reported symptoms of depressive disorder or anxiety. That means many have had suicidal thoughts and panic attacks.
Well, you certainly won’t be truly effective in work if you’re not able to deal with any mental health issues. This is where music therapy comes in handy. Music’s ability to positively affect the mind can go a long way in improving a worker’s well-being. That music helps us become better, more productive workers is good news. It’s certainly music to anyone’s ears.