If you are a music lover, you probably know how much it can impact your mood. People listen to music to pump themselves up for important events, or to relax at home.
Many studies have shown that music has health benefits, especially for people with depression and anxiety. Music therapy, for example, if often used to promote emotional and mental health, but also to improve the quality of life for people with health problems.
Music isn’t just meant to entertain us – it can also encourage creativity, helping us become more productive. Listening to music can have therapeutic effects. For example, some types of music can help with learning, while we work, improving the ability of processing the information. Other genres help people lift their spirits up, inducing “euphoric moments.”
So, if you’re struggling with something, such as focusing on learning, sleeping, or working, keep reading the next article. You’ll discover what music therapy is, and how it can help you give a major boost in productivity.
Music therapy since ancient times
Music therapy includes incorporating many elements, like writing songs, listening, or making music. You could go to a music therapist and discover the real world of music.
The oldest piece of evidence that shows to people music-making is a 42-thousand-year-old flute, which was designed from the wing of an eagle. It was discovered in a cave in Southern Germany. There were also found fragments made from mammoth bone: it’s the very first example that art and music exists since ancient times. It is said that in Ancient Greece, poetry married music, and that’s how the rhythm of music was born. The parts that were played and sung were measured by the words, so this helped musicologists decipher how the music works.
Perhaps this is the scientific explanation of music. Pythagoras – the famous Greek mathematician explained that the laws governing the movement of planets in the sky, a theory known as the music of the spheres. Less speculative, and more concrete, it’s a short description of rhythm and music in ancient times. As far as antique societies go, we have quite a lot of music history from the Greeks.
However, music evolved naturally, the same way species evolve in the natural world. You don’t have to listen to just one type of music, or have talents of Beethoven to create music. It seems that nowadays, you don’t even need talent to create music.
Here are some types of music that can help you achieve maximum productivity:
- Classical music
- Video game music
- Nature music
- Your favorite music
Researchers have discovered that listening to classical music can help people achieve tasks more rapidly and efficiently. It’s called “The Mozart Effect.” Listening to classical music can improve brain activity and improve overall health. It’s the easiest way to enhance someone’s ability to solve problems. The absence of words in the music is perhaps the number one factor that helps people to focus. This genre of music helps students perform better on their exams. Here’s a short selection of classical you can use as good intro music to boost productivity while studying or working:
- Piano concerto no. 23 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- The hours – Philip Glass
- Etudes – Claude Debussy
- Clair De Lune – Claude Debussy
- Classical Music for Brain Power – Mozart
- Piano sonata no. 11 – Mozart
It might seem quite strange for you, but listening to music from video games can be a great way to help you focus. Each element of video games is perfectly designed to create a wonderful experience for all of your senses, and the music is specially made to help you focus on your tasks, without being distracted. This type of music is generally keeping you moving forward, as many of these video games include dealing with tough situations. So, if you find yourself in stressful times, video games music has been proven to be the perfect way to help you fight your way through the world.
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Video games to check out:
- Assassin’s Creed
- Battlefield One
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Halo
Some research suggested that not the type of music is necessarily responsible for keeping you focused and productive, but the tempo of the music. Listening to the sounds of nature, for example, like waterfalls, waves crashing, has been shown to improve cognitive function. Nature sounds work best when they’re combined with other soothing sounds, such as rainfall, or more enchanting sounds, such as birds’ noises. Natural sounds are proven to boost focus and mood. Nowadays, employees are a lot more productive and have more positive feelings when they listen to nature sounds playing in the background, while they work. It may be because nature sounds help mask distracting noises, such as people talking, or typing. Calming nature sounds not only helps people work better on tasks, but to also restore effect on cognitive abilities.
You can try listen to:
- Rain falling
- Ocean waves
- Surf
- Flowing water
- Water fountain
- Thunderstorm sounds
The bottom line
When it comes to working on a project that you’re normally happy about, it can help to play one of your favorite songs. Studies have shown that listening to your favorite type of music can enhance your productivity and overall mood. The personal choice of music is very important when deciding to work or study. It’s especially important for those who are not very skilled at their jobs. So, listening to music you enjoy most will help you come up with better ideas, feel better, improve your overall mood and health.
It is believed that too distracting music, such as songs with too fast beats or lyrics that can catch your attention isn’t going to help you improve your focus. But, if heavy metal is going to help you finish that school project or job task, why not play it?
Remember, music is therapy. Next time you’re planning on finishing a mountain of paperwork or remaining concentrated on other tasks, turn on your favorite tunes.