By: Shay White

 I love music, and I mean, who doesn’t? There’s a very scientific explanation as to why we like music so much. When we listen to music the brain triggers a release of dopamine (aka the “pleasure chemical” that recognizes rewards and motivates you to go after them), giving us an immediate mood booster. 

A Closer Look

 But what does music do to you while you’re at work? Does it make you more productive? I wanted to search for the answer. 

 All of the studies and articles I found came to the same conclusion: 

 Yes… and no.  

 Music can assist productivity when doing boring, repetitive tasks because it provides more arousal to your brain allowing you to focus more. Often when you’re doing those boring tasks, you need a serious mood boost to get through it – and that’s what music does! So the next time you need to clean your inbox or crunch some numbers, put on some tunes. 

 Now, if you’re trying to learn something new music can inhibit your productivity. The reason is simple – you need a lot more mental capacity when you are doing something for the first time. In a study, researchers found that those trying to complete a memory task with music in the background were less successful than those not listening to music.   

 So this sounds pretty simple: Listen to music when doing repetitive tasks, not new ones.  

 But what if you’re like me and can’t live without listening to music at some point in the day? Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist, suggests listening to music 10-15 minutes before you start working to boost productivity. That release of dopamine will still happen and put you in a better mood before starting to work. He also recommends setting aside breaks in which you can listen to your music before getting back to work.  

 These results are pretty satisfying to me!  

What Kind of Music should you Listen to?

 But what type of music should I be listening to still maintain optimum productivity? 

 It seems as though music without lyrics is the best in order to stay focused as it provides the least distractions to the brain. Classical music, particularly from the Baroque and Classical era, ambient music or electronic music are my personal favourites as they are often fairly repetitive and don’t have as many distracting ‘surprises.’ 

 Research also suggests sticking to familiar favourites because you know what is coming – there is less room for distractions when listening to the same music over and over again. 

Playlists

 Stuck on finding some great instrumental playlists for work? We’ve created a few spotify playlists for you to check out below:  

  • Tune It Out – An electronic playlist to get pumped for the day and tune out that noisy work environment.  
  • Study Slaylist – This is my personal playlist that I use whenever I’m hitting the books for school. A mixture of instrumental electronic, classical and minimalist, and acoustic jams. 
  • Minimalist – A relaxing classical playlist from the best composers from the 21st century.  
  • 88 Keys – Relaxing piano music from modern day composers and artists. Also a great way to end your day. 

You can also check out some of these sites for some great work playlists: 

Composers

And finally, check out some my personal favourites of great artists/composers to create your own playlist:  

Classical Composers of the 21st Century: 

Electronic Artists: 

Classical and/or electronic music not really for you? Check out this article on what other genres you should be listening to.  

In general, you’ve got to listen to the music you like, so start creating your playlist today! Happy listening!  

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