Offices around the world are filled with the sound of music. Some people use headphones and others play music out loud— but for workers everywhere music is an integral part of the work environment. With so many choices though, what should you listen to while working? Here are some of my top choices for music that can keep you motivated and focused on your work in the office.
First off, classical music is always a good choice when trying to concentrate. Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms are all worthy partners to work alongside. Studies have shown that listening to classical music can help focus and concentration, while improving mental capacities such as spatial reasoning. Classical music can be both soothing and stimulating depending on the score, so it can be flexible depending on the task.
Sometimes though, you just need something lyrical. When I need a jolt of energy I’ll turn up my work out mix, full of upbeat hip-hop, pop and Motown. If I’m already awake anything will often do, but I tend to go for contemporary pop and rock- songs I know the words to and don’t have to think about too hard. I suggest staying about from anything sad or existential. At least for me it tends to make me lose focus. And when I need to blow off steam? I always find a couple Breaking Benjamin songs followed by The Who to turn things around.
Can’t decide on a playlist of your own making? There are tons of sites that will compile work/study playlists for you. Pandora will help you create personalized playlists based on your musical tastes, while applications like Spotify can find you playlists from different users. With that you can work to country western, rap, pop, classic rock- whatever suits your mood and taste. The Huffington Post offers 27 playlists in various genres in case you’re still overwhelmed with options.
Finally, you can always go with an old, classic song to get you into the working spirit- courtesy of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs. Just try not to whistle too loudly!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by craigCloutier
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