Does music have a positive influence on your work focus?

28 Mar 2024Updated: 4 hours ago | 52 people are reading

Does music have a positive influence on your work focus?

© Shutterstock Music influences our focus, but how?

Does listening music during work or study provide more focus, or does it actually distract you? You would think it depends on what you listen to. Is there perhaps a difference between folk, metal, classical, techno or rock-hard rock music?

Actually, it doesn't really matter what you listen to, as long as you listen to it at the right time. It is scientifically proven that music can be the way to get you into the focus flow, for example when you have to do a complex assignment.

You know that you have sunk into something so deep that time seems to stand still. When you get out of that mode, it also feels like you've really been away for a while. When you get your focus, you want to stay in it as long as possible. Preferably until your job is done. When your music suddenly changes its pitch or you hear a recognizable lyrics then you lose your concentration. So it's better not to listen to that kind of music.

What is it?

Perhaps not entirely surprising, but silence is the best way to focus. It is therefore better to turn off your music just before you start a task that requires a lot of focus. Research shows that turning off (background) music shakes your brain up so that you can focus better.

Yet it has also been scientifically proven that music can have a positive influence on your work, but it does depend on of the type of work. For example, during learning you should not listen to music. The brain then also processes musical tones on top of the material that needs to be stored. If you work in a noisy space, then music offers a solution. By listening to music you can close yourself off from your environment and work concentrated.

Source: TandfOnline