12 Ways Music Can Improve Your Productivity at Work [Infographic]

Being productive at the office can sometimes be a challenge -- especially if you’re easily distracted by the smallest things.

To stay on track, you might try prioritizing your work, limiting the number of browsers you have open, working in a quiet place, or even turning on do not disturb in Slack or on your phone.

But have you tried putting on some headphones?

Music is a great tool for setting your mood and helping you focus on the work in front of you.

Based on research by Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor at the University of Miami, those who listened to music while at work completed their tasks more quickly and felt more creative.

In this infographic from Zing Instruments, we’ll take a look at the different ways music can help you increase your productivity at work.

How Music Can Make You More Productive at Work

1. Gets You Into a “Flow State”

Flow state is a term introduced by Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi to help describe an optimal experience where you’re fully immersed in a task at hand.

Often times at work you can be easily distracted by checking your email, responding to messages on slack, and even your co-workers -- making it hard for you to complete tasks or even concentrate.

By listening to music and allowing yourself to achieve a state of flow, you’d be surprised by how quickly you can speed through your list of tasks.

2. Reduces Distractions

Distractions are probably the biggest culprits when it comes to staying productive.

Sadly, noisy co-workers aren’t the only distractions. A silent office can be just as distracting.

While listening to music can help you concentrate, simply putting on your headphones is a great visual cue to let your coworkers know you’re in the zone and shouldn’t be disturbed.  

This helps you reduce a lot of the shoulder tapping that can prevent you from focusing on the work you need to get done.

The Types of Music You Should Listen to at Work

You shouldn’t listen to just any type of music, though.

Certain types of music could actually be more harmful than helpful.

While listening to your favorite music is great, it can also be distracting. Especially, when you start singing along or even typing the words in the song in an email to a client.

Before you gravitate to your favorite playlist in Spotify, let’s take a look at the types of music Entrepreneur and Deep Patel, identified to improve your productivity.

1. Classical

Have you ever tried listening to Mozart?

Classical music is a genre researchers have been raving about when it comes to increasing your productivity.

The reasoning behind its popularity is that there aren’t any words.

According to the Mozart Effect, listening to classical composers can enhance brain activity and act as a catalyst for improving health and wellbeing.

 If you want to want to add some classical selections to your office playlist,  give these a try:

• Vivaldi’s quick tempo “Four Seasons”

• Bach Classical study playlist

2. Nature

There are a couple people on our team that love listening to rain.

Nature sounds are great for enhancing your cognitive function and concentration.

Based on research done at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, “employees were more productive and had more positive feelings when nature sounds were playing in the background while they worked.”

Here are some nature sounds you might want to try out:

• Rain

• Crashing waves

• Flowing water

• Fan

3. Music Between 50 and 80 Beats Per Minute

Cognitive behavioral therapist, Dr. Emma Gray, recently worked with Spotify to uncover the benefits of listening to certain types of music. In her research, she found that listening to music set between 50 to 80 beats per minute help put the brain in an alpha state... you're tuning out while being tuned in.

Think of it as a state of mind, where you’re listening to music, but by being deep in thought, you’ll find that you’re not really hearing the music.

If this is something you want to give a try, here are some songs you might want to check out:

• “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake

• “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley

• “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars

• “Chasing Pavements” by Adele

Check out the infographic from Zing Instruments below to learn more about how music can improve your productivity.

Also, here are some playlists our team listens to when they need to get in the stuff done:

• If you enjoy listening to white noise or even a fan, check out this one on Spotify.

• Rain is a great way to drown out other sounds. Give Rainy Mood a try.

• To switch up different sounds and create your perfect background noise, check out Noisli.

• A great option for laid back beats with little to no words is Tropical House, check out this playlist on Pandora.

• If you’re looking for a modern take on classical and jazz music, check out Creative Mind Radio.

• If you’re looking for something upbeat, check out this productivity playlist curated by our Director of Web and Interactive Content Liz Murphy -- she recommends you listen to this mix on shuffle. 

What sounds make you more productive, let me know in IMPACT Elite!