How can we use Music to Improve our Productivity and Personal Growth during Daily Activities?

 How can we use Music to Improve our Productivity and Personal Growth during Daily Activities? 

You probably can’t remember what you had for breakfast last Saturday, but you probably do remember the lyrics to a song you used to have on replay but don't listen too much nowadays. Kinda funny how that works, music is hardwired into our minds, and it has the ability to evoke feelings like sadness, happiness, nostalgia, etc. But it goes even further than that, we don’t often think of music as a tool for boosting productivity, enhancing our focus and even improving our mental health. We don’t talk about these things on a regular basis so right now I want to show you how important it is to understand the effects music can have on the way we feel, act and think in a variety of settings. Ranging from workouts to social connections, music can be used to enhance these experiences and maximize our production and overall success. But why and how does that even work? Why is music able to move us through things physically and emotionally? How can this awareness be beneficial for us? 

                  Mental Productivity  

 One of the biggest benefits that can stem from music is improved mental focus. Studies have shown that when we listen to music it lights up nearly all of our brain, according to Harvard Medicine “the hippocampus and amygdala, activate emotional responses to music through memory; the limbic system, which governs pleasure, motivation, and reward; and the body’s motor system.”. That explains why background music can improve our ability to concentrate and stay on task.   

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare adds to this by saying when we listen to music it causes our brains to release “feel good neurotransmitters” like serotonin and dopamine which “influence focus, concentration, memory, sleep, mood, and motivation”. These responses put us in a more productive state, especially when we’re doing things like working out or studying, knowing this we can use our brains natural reactions to music to our advantage. Next time you’re studying, try playing some lofi or simple instrumental music to reap these effects. I've tried listening to music while studying and it definitely does work; there's some music out there that aligns with your brain waves. I've used that as a key part of my study routine tagged along with little 10-minute breaks in between and it allows me to study for long periods of time, 4-5 hours. 

Physical Productivity 

Music doesn’t just affect our mental productivity; it can boost our physical production as well. If you’ve ever felt that extra boost of energy while working out and listening to your favorite songs you’ve already experienced this next benefit: motivation. In a study done by BD Mills on the “Effects of music on assertive behavior during exercise by middle-school-age students” they found that when students listened to music with a more upbeat tempo, they were more likely to act assertively. This could imply that the students would act more confidently and take leadership or be more helpful to others. To me this says how music can not only act as a confidence booster for us, but it can also boost our mindset on taking action, not just during physical activity but also in any situation where we might see people around us needing help. Music can stop that nervousness of being judged and make us more motivated to lend a hand. 

Another example of Music’s effect on our productiveness comes from “The Sound of Success: Investigating Cognitive and Behavioral Effects of Motivational Music in Sports” Paul Evers and Jochen Steffens talk about how music impacts self-confidence, performance and risk-taking behavior. This experiment didn't directly improve any physical performance in participants but what they did find was that people who listened to music during activity saw an increase in the amount of risk they take. This especially increased when they got to choose the music in comparison to letting the experimenters choose, which shows how much personal love for specific songs can affect things like confidence and risk taking. Music gives you that extra drive to push your body to its limits, something lots of us could use in moments of mental or physical fatigue. If you're trying to power your way through work or lifting weights just turning on your favorite song might give you that edge of motivation you need. I also just want to add that this effect does play a role in my life, I've found myself tired and near the point of wanting to give up during exercise, but music helps me stay focused and motivated. It makes me feel like I can do anything, and it makes me want to push myself as hard as possible. So, if you weren't too sure on this one, you might be now. 

   How music is used by companies and how we can apply it to improve productivity and growth 

 I now want to shy away from things like sports and move onto how music is used to affect things we do on a daily basis. As well as how we can take strategies that businesses use on us and apply them to our daily lives to maximize our growth and performance as well. In an article from RetailNext, they say that “Music’s impact goes beyond mood… It shapes how customers perceive their time in-store and their overall satisfaction. Research shows that familiar or enjoyable music can make wait times feel shorter and enhance the customer experience.” Music isn't something that's just played in stores to keep from quietness, it's strategically placed by a business to control the ways we shop and how we interact with others while in the store. If we take this idea and use it in the workplace for example, we can make the day feel like it's going by faster, while also boosting our moods if we’re having a bad day. Which might then lead to you getting more work done. When I used to work as a dishwasher in a restaurant I used to listen to music every time I had a shift, and I remember one time I had forgotten my earbuds, and the day felt longer and more grueling. I felt my mood down and I couldn't wait to get out of there. So, music can most definitely have a lasting effect on your production in a work environment. 

Now let's look at how specific parts of music like tempo and volume can be changed to directly impact different things we might do on the daily. When music is played at a higher tempo our sense of urgency increases. This type of music may not play in a retail store like Target, but it would fit in somewhere like a restaurant. Up-tempo music can help busy restaurants get people in and out quickly, while on the other hand a store might play some slower songs to keep customers inside and browsing leading to more consumption and more profit. In a day-to-day setting, we can play up-tempo music to keep our reflexes and minds moving quickly. Up-tempo music can be used while playing a video game like Call of Duty for example. The game is heavily reliant on fast reaction time and processing information quickly. So, some fast-paced music might give you a slight competitive advantage. Which I can stand by and say that music does make you feel like you're better than everyone you're playing against for some reason.  

Next let's look at volume, volume of music in stores and restaurants is used to subconsciously affect our emotions, perception of time and even things like our comfort level in a place of business. When we’re in a high-end restaurant we don't want music blaring because it takes away from the sophistication that the restaurant typically has, at the same time we don't want it to quite because it would more than likely make people feel self-conscious and uncomfortable so we settle for a nice medium volume song that matches the aesthetics of the restaurant to keep customers feeling welcome and comfortable in the establishment. So how can we control the volume of our music to boost our productiveness? Well, if you drive you probably listen to music in the car. If you do then you might want to try listening to music at a low volume, preferably something calm and this could help you drive in stressful conditions like high traffic areas or narrow roads. You could also play some medium volumed music to keep you awake and stimulated if you're driving late at night.  

Societal Growth 

Lastly, I want to speak about how music can and does help society grow, as well as how it's attached to and influenced certain moments in history and our culture. In a study done on the “impact of music-induced emotions on prosocial decision-making" it spoke on how certain types of music can impact how we treat others and how that music in turn affects our cognition.  The experiment overall showed that music when sadder has the ability to make us overall more helpful and empathetic towards strangers, which in my opinion is something we can use a lot more of in today's world. Sad music in my opinion makes us more aware of our sense of belonging, if we listen to sad songs while actually just pondering, we tend to reflect on things, and this leads to awareness and awakening. I think this awareness can help us connect with others who might be currently going through a similar trial that we went through. This in turn makes us more empathetic and therefore better people. It allows us to branch out and help not only ourselves grow but others as well.  

To wrap up I now just want to take a step back and look at how music has shaped our cultures and how it's a big part of history as well as how this relates to growth of not only us individually but as a society. Save The Music says it best when they speak on “Music’s impact on human rights movements and its role as an agent for change is clear in the history books. One example is the impact of the “freedom songs” of the Civil Rights movement, such as “We Shall Overcome” and “Strange Fruit.” These songs broke down barriers, educated people, built empathy across the divide, and had a hand in ending segregation.” This showed how music inspired generations of the past to fight for what's right and bring an end to things that just shouldn't be seen. Save The Music also talks about how we should be attentive to the music we hear now, as it can be a message on what we should be fighting to fix now saying “Songs have the power to change the world in unexpected ways, challenging preconceived notions and shedding light on issues that have historically been ignored.”  Music can be used to impact us and help us grow as a society and incite change that may never happen without it. So, if you don't like something you see in the world, maybe make a song, who knows what changes you could ignite. 

 

To conclude, I just want to say that music isn't just randomly chosen or used, it's something that we can use actively to improve the way we work, live and even how we interact with each other. It's a powerful art form that shapes the world around us and not only that but also our behavior. Whether it inspires you to break those boundaries and get one or two extra reps in during that workout or if it makes you a more respectful and empathetic person, music's ability to incite growth and productivity will always be there for you to use. 

             

 

 Works Cited 

Hoffer, Megan. “How Music Affects Your Mind, Mood and Body.” Tallahassee Memorial Health, 2 Dec. 2022, www.tmh.org/healthy-living/blogs/healthy-living/how-music-affects-your-mind-mood-and-body 

 

Eck, Allison. “How Music Resonates in the Brain.” Harvard Medicine Magazine, 14 Mar. 2025, magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/how-music-resonates-brain.  

 

Elvers, Paul, and Jochen Steffens. “The Sound of Success: Investigating Cognitive and Behavioral Effects of Motivational Music in Sports.” Frontiers in Psychology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 21 Nov. 2017, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5702473/#s2. 

 

Mills, B D. “Effects of Music on Assertive Behavior during Exercise by Middle-School-Age Students.” Perceptual and Motor Skills, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 Oct. 1996, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8902014/. 

 

Monzon, Martin. “Music Matters: How in-Store Music Shapes Shopper Behavior.” RetailNext, 17 Feb. 2025, retailnext.net/blog/music-matters-how-in-store-music-shapes-shopper-behavior-better-together.