Are you the person that has to have music on 24-7? It's pretty common to walk around a office today and see most people with their earphones in at work, but what are they listening to? Is that helping them work better? or are they just trying to drown out their co-workers?
In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: researchers found music’s effects on your work depend on the type of music, the complexity of what you’re working on, and the person performing the tasks.
Some people can’t work and listen to music with words in it, some people listen to music so loud it bleeds out of their earbuds, and some can’t listen to anything at all if they want to concentrate. There are people who swear by classical music.
Researchers conclude that loud, or complex, music can be good for simple tasks, as it causes a narrowing of focus. Because easy work lets your mind wander, a loud jolt of music brings your attention back on track.
Ultimately, the relationship between music and performance of cognitive tasks is not “one-size-fits-all,” because it depends on who you are and how much outside stimuli you crave
We explore the idea in our office where Shannen is always listening to music.