Like many people, you probably select music to listen to based on your mood. When you’re happy, upbeat music is a natural choice; when you’re stressed, low-key, relaxing music tends to be the most appealing. While this approach makes sense, it isn’t optimal–at least not from a business standpoint. Rather than matching music to your current mood, you should select music based on your immediate goals. In the business world, this approach can boost productivity, enhance concentration and enhance your capabilities in many other exciting ways.
Music for productivity? Listen to the right music at the right time with these tips. CLICK TO TWEET
While listening to music is overwhelmingly done for fun, it can also be a useful tool for business professionals. Keep these tips in mind to enhance your ability to reach new heights of success in your career.
Executive Summary:
1. Preparing for a Stressful Situation
When getting ready for important presentations, crucial meetings, intense negotiations or other stressful work-related situations, try blasting some motivational music. What’s motivational to one person may leave another cold, but certain genres and songs are pretty universal in this regard. Songs like “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba and “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor are just a few examples. There are also plenty of motivational playlists available online.
2. Concentrating on a Project or Other Work
Playing music is useful in virtually all work-related situations. One exception, however, is when you really need to concentrate intently on a project or other types of work. This is especially true if you are working solo. In this situation, you’re usually better off not listening to music at all. If you are used to doing so, however, you should stick with unfamiliar songs, instrumental music, and other ambient tunes. The goal here is to let your subconscious absorb the music while your conscious brain focuses on the task at hand.
3. Completing Repetitive, Mindless Tasks
Even high-powered executives get stuck completing repetitive, mind-numbingly boring tasks from time to time. This type of work seems to drag on forever, so it helps to play some fast-paced, upbeat music in the background to pass the time. Unlike with other types of work, there is no harm in playing music that distracts you in this situation. Look for feel-good music that you can sing along to and have fun with. Whether it’s something that you’re already familiar with or a special playlist of feel-good songs that you’ve found online, playing fun, lighthearted music while completing boring busywork can make a huge difference.
4. Getting Going for the Day
As a busy professional, you probably burn the candle at both ends. This often means feeling burned out and exhausted even first thing in the morning. The best solution for this is to take an extended vacation. The next best thing–and the more practical option–is to pump yourself up with some fast-paced, energetic music. Nothing can clear the morning doldrums like jamming to some of your favorite upbeat music. It’s the perfect way to set the stage for a productive and positive day. Create a playlist of your favorite upbeat songs to listen to in the morning, or download some playlists from the internet. Suddenly, mornings don’t seem so bad.
5. Focusing While in a Distracting Environment
An ideal work environment is quiet, comfortable and free of distractions. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of getting work done under such circumstances. Busy executives are often on the go, and this usually means having to catch up on work while on a train, on a plane or in other distracting environments. A great pair of headphones and the right music can be a lifesaver under these circumstances. As for which type of music to listen to, serene, relaxing tunes tend to work best. Have a playlist of such music queued up and ready to go whenever you will be out and about for the day.
6. Exercising for Physical and Mental Health
Exercise is one of the best stress relievers out there, so it’s important for working professionals to squeeze at least a little into each day. Workouts can be grueling when you are consumed with distracting thoughts about work. Music helps to take your mind off of such matters, allowing you to lose yourself in sound and movement. The best music to listen to while breaking a sweat is something that is fast-paced but familiar. Listening to songs that you know and love while getting in your workout makes the time fly too, ensuring that you reach your workout goal without any trouble.
7. Unwinding
Like most working professionals, you probably prefer to leave your work at work. However, it can be difficult to let go of the workday even after arriving home. The right music helps to melt away those concerns, allowing you to kick back, relax and enjoy yourself while off the clock. Upon arriving home, cue up some slow-paced tunes. Aim for something that has a tempo of about 60 beats per minute. Classical music works well under these circumstances, and there’s a wealth of it to choose from. Nature sounds and other types of ambient noise also help a lot. By the time your listening session is over, you’ll have rid yourself of the day’s work stresses and will be ready to enjoy life at home.
From the minute that you wake up until the time that you arrive home from work, the right soundtrack can make your workday unfold a whole lot easier. By being a bit strategic about the kind of music that you play and when you play it, you can more easily put your best, most professional foot forward from the second you walk through the office door until the moment that you walk back out.
What other strategies would you add to this list? Please, share your comments!
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