Music in the Workplace – How it Helps

University of Illinois researchers found in a study of 256 office workers that listening to music of their own choice soothed frayed nerves, drowned out distracting office chatter, boosted mood, and significantly enhanced office performance.

Also among the positive effects: greater satisfaction with the employer and reduced interest in switching jobs!

Sound and rhythm create mental and emotional environments. What is the most conducive to your task?. Do you need help concentrating or simply staying awake? Is there a big meeting coming up? The intentional use of music in the office is a perfect application of “soundwork.”

Here are suggestions for music to help you enhance your concentration, or to increase your energy, or stay awake:

For enhanced concentration and mental immersion.
In 1993 researchers at the University of California at Irvine found that college students who listened to Mozart’s Piano Sonata K. 448 for ten minutes prior to taking a spatial IQ test scored eight points higher than those who did not. The concept is that listening to music might somehow enhance the brain’s ability to perform abstract operations immediately thereafter. This phenomenon is known as the Mozart effect.

Dr. Georgi Lozano believes that adagio movements from the baroque repertoire induce a relaxed-mind alert state, where concentration, memory, and imagination is heightened. Most of these pieces were sixty beats a minute, corresponding to a relaxed heart rate.

What music will relax your body while stimulating our mind?

Staying awake, increased energy.

This is the best time for up-tempo, fun music. Pull out the jazz, country, reggae, pop, or classical allegro movements. Turn up the volume a bit. Be considerate of those around you; they may not need the sonic hit you are looking for.

Read more: Spirit, Inspiration

Adapted from The Power of Sound,by Joshua Leeds (Inner Traditions, 2001). Copyright (c) Joshua Leeds, 2001. Reprinted by permission of Healing Arts Press.
Adapted from The Power of Sound,by Joshua Leeds (Inner Traditions, 2001).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Terry V.

6:17AM PDT on May 14, 2012

music is a very individual "taste"

send a green star

Lanasia E.

8:55AM PST on Mar 1, 2012

love

Teresa W.

6:39AM PST on Feb 18, 2012

Doesn't it distract you from work?

Maria T.

12:18PM PDT on Nov 3, 2011

Music really helps especially during stressful work deadlines .

Melissah C.

5:49AM PDT on Sep 22, 2010

thanks

Bon L.

6:54AM PDT on Aug 9, 2010

Thanks for the article.

KS G.

12:51AM PDT on Aug 8, 2010

Thanks very much.

Judith C.

3:53PM PDT on Aug 7, 2010

thanks Annie for really interesting article.

Janice P.

1:48PM PDT on Jul 5, 2010

When I was still working, I had a private office, so I had the luxury of having my own stereo system at work. Most days, I played nature sounds with soft percussion music. If I had a dog-tired day and needed to perk up, I put on the Moody Blues. Music made my work day so much more pleasant. There were many times that I was so into my work with my music, that I would not even notice the time until an hour and a half or more after the end of the work day. Anything, that can make ones time fly by that easily and quickly and remove all stress from ones job, is priceless.

mr C.

1:10PM PDT on Jul 5, 2010

sometimes i just need to put my headphones on in order to be able to concentrate. gets me focussed on my task when all the environmental noises, e.g. colleagues having a discussion, are muted.