Working With Music
Posted Nov 22, 2019 10:26 AM
Working With Music
By Natas
Music is a powerful tool, something we all know. It can make us feel empowered, but it can also make us feel depressed. It can make us laugh and think of good times, or it can remind us of dark moments we struggled through. You yourself no doubt have a go to playlist, band or album that you pick when you need some inspiration, or something easy to listen to, and we know how effective it can be to change our moods.
If you've ever worked in retail, manual labor, or data entry, then you know how tedious and mind numbing these jobs and tasks can be, but it can be much less that way when you introduce music. Perhaps it's the rhythm, giving our subconscious mind a pattern to focus on that isn't our heartbeat or our breathing, that breaks up the monotony, or perhaps it's the slight distraction that music can give you so you're not obsessing over how long you have left to work, or how truly boring your job can be at times. But you always notice the difference, and that's the key.
When you walk through a superstore, and it's playing happy music or some kind of positive ambient track, you immediately notice that it's more upbeat, and that people seem friendlier. It's the music, bringing moods up, and giving everyone something to listen to that isn't their own thoughts which admittedly can get dark at times. When it's a track everyone knows, particularly around Christmas times, you have something to laugh and smile about with others, a common ground, and it gives people a sense of peace.
So why are we talking about this? Well, you can use music to your advantage when you're working as we said, but you can also do a kind of life hack when you use certain types of music over others when you're working. Let me give you an example: Try working on boring data entry jobs while listening to easy listening jazz or ambient music. You'll likely find that it goes a lot quicker than in silence, and you get yourself into a little rhythm that helps you forget about the clock, and gets you finished faster. Now try that same job with a power ballad, or an intricate rap track, or something with heavy guitar and drums. Yes, you may enjoy it while you work, but you'll also likely find that you get distracted by the lyrics. You might start singing along, then realize you've typed in a lyric and said a data line, or that you've stumbled over lyrics you thought you knew, then go off on a slight mental tangent that takes time to get back from. This is where you can initiate this life hack; you can find ambient tracks that work for you, songs with minimal or no vocals, that you can relate to in an aural sense, and you'll find that your body matches the rhythm of the song and gets you through the task at hand far faster. Give it a try when you're facing some boring or menial work next, and I promise you that you'll benefit from the right music at the right time.
