January 2020
Music at the workplace - useful or rather annoying? Opinions are divided on this. But especially in modern open-plan offices, you see more and more colleagues with headphones and music on their ears. Mostly in order to isolate themselves from ambient noise. Even in the home office, many listen to their favorite music undisturbed while working. In fact, numerous studies confirm that music can even help us reduce stress and be more productive. In addition, music is said to have a pain-relieving effect. It appeals to our emotions and has been shown to improve stamina during sports and physically demanding work. Does this also apply to office work?
We have compiled an overview of when music is a sensible idea in the office or home office and which music is best suited for productive work.
Music at work: Mood and volume
Music influences our emotions: Some songs make us happy, others thoughtful, and still others make us nostalgic or sad. You should also keep this in mind when choosing music for studying or working. So that you are not distracted, music that either puts you in a positive mood or does not greatly influence your emotional state is basically suitable.
By the way, it's better not to turn up the volume too much: Ideally, the music should be quiet to just perceptible - whether with or without headphones. This will please your colleagues, your ears, and certainly your superiors as well. Loud music not only damages your hearing in the long run, but also quickly causes restlessness and distraction, since you automatically concentrate actively on what you are hearing.
The right rhythms at the right time
A day's work can be very different depending on the activity: Sometimes you develop concepts creatively, sometimes meticulous precision is required. Do you work alone or together with others on a task? The nature of our tasks plays an important role in the choice of music.
Music for routine tasks
Who hasn't experienced this? Repetitive routine tasks such as filing documents or sorting emails quickly become boring and can downright cause a dull feeling. Motivating and mood-lifting are particularly dynamic songs from the charts, pop and rap songs with a wide variation of highs and lows.
Music for concentrated work
When an activity requires a lot of concentration, sounds and music can quickly become a double burden for the brain. That's why it's best to rely on uncomplicated music without lyrics, such as classical music, instrumentals or lo-fi playlists, during concentrated work phases. Nature sounds with a regular rhythm, for example ocean noise, also let us work more concentrated and productive in such moments.
Creativity and music
When your work calls for a particularly high level of creativity, it's best to listen to: nothing. Read correctly. The Mozart effect, which became known in the 1990s, is now considered questionable. According to this theory, piano music positively influences the spatial-temporal imagination when solving creative tasks. Studies now refute this phenomenon and even show that creative tasks are solved better by test subjects when there is no background noise at all. Take advantage of quiet moments and let your thoughts wander undisturbed.
Relaxed and stress-free in the office thanks to music
With or without music, regular breaks are important for productive work. So treat yourself to a few minutes of downtime and listen to fast, upbeat songs or simply your favorite music during your break. Because positive sounds make you happy by stimulating the release of the happiness hormone dopamine. This way, you'll approach work in a good mood and even be more productive as a result. Having a really stressful day? Nature sounds and calm pieces of music, e.g. instrumental, soft rock or reggae, provide some relaxation. By the way, we have the latter in common with our four-legged friends, because raggae and calm rock songs also have a particularly relaxing effect on dogs. Read more about this in our article about relaxation music for dogs .
Studies or not: Ultimately, music in the workplace is a matter of taste. Try out different pieces of music and listen to what makes you feel good - always with consideration for your colleagues, of course. Follow us on Spotify for more music inspiration.
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