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Listening to music for work can help with concentration and improve performance. Check out a list that can help you

Barbara Jackson image by Pixabay

Have you ever wondered why music is something so common in the daily lives of so many people? Just get into a subway car or a bus and you can watch several people with your headphones on. Beatriz Ilari, music education researcher at University of Southern California, in the United States, presents in his article "Music, social behavior and interpersonal relationships" a psychological analysis of the action of music in life together. According to her, music contributes to the preservation of our species and also to evolution. She says that individuals often use music as a way of approaching others and that it helps us to create different types of emotional bonds. In addition, listening to music for work is also associated with benefits, such as increased concentration and productivity.

Music at work helps in socializing among colleagues, even acting in a specific way for each person - music generates different reactions based on tastes and particular affective memories. These reactions can be measured chemically: the most common case is the release of dopamine - a hormone that motivates and gives pleasure - when music that is pleasant to the individual's taste is played (whether at work or at home).

music to work

But, after all, how can music help at work? According to a study of the Journal of Music Therapy , when a person listens to music that they like, it tends to reduce the perception of tension, making them happier and more agile and productive in stressful situations - as is common in the work environment.

But it is not enough to just listen to any music, some scientific articles help to choose the best music to work with. There is one playlist ideal for every type of production. Come on:

For simple tasks, prefer rock and classical music

A study published in Journal of Neuroscience of Behavior and Physiology observed that the ability of individuals to recognize images, letters and numbers was faster when listening to rock or classical music compared to an environment without music. Another study found that assembly-line workers were happier, more efficient, and less error-prone while listening to music. Researchers have also documented that performance improves when the task at hand is seen as simple or monotonous (such as answering emails or copying content into a spreadsheet) if the individuals performing it are listening to music.

Are you learning new things? Instrumental music

For immersive tasks that demand more from the intellect, classical or instrumental music proved to be more suitable for elevating mental performance than songs with sung lyrics.

To work on really complex tasks, the best thing to do is to try to get away from any kind of noise (including music). Even faint music in the distance can interfere cognitively - as in these cases your performance can start to slow down because your brain will devote resources to help you process the difficult task and the music.

Listen to music you like to work with what you've mastered

The "magic" of music appears a lot when you've completely mastered the task you're going to perform, even if it's something challenging, like surgery. A study published in Journal of the American Medial Association reported that surgeons worked more precisely when they were listening to music they liked. But you don't need to be a doctor to benefit from the wonders of music. the author of best sellers Stephen King, for example, claims to listen to rock bands Metallica and Anthrax while writing. In other words, your favorite music will be great to work with what you love.

Music with calm beats for concentration

When you need to focus, studies suggest that songs with frequencies of 50-80 beats per minute are best. To Dr. Emma Gray of the British CBT and Counseling Service, worked with the network of streaming of songs Spotify to conduct research on the benefits of certain types of music. Gray's research concluded that music with frequencies of 50-80 beats per minute helps to induce the alpha state in the brain, thus, the mind becomes calm, alert and with a high level of concentration. For the author, it is not the musical genre, but the rhythm that helps to create a state of concentration.