Getting Through Work and Life with My Favourite Beats
Is there a particular song or playlist that instantly boosts your mood whenever you listen to it?
Music has become an essential element in our lives, be it for work, school, or even in making the long drive or commute to wherever we need to be a little less dreadful. In fact, music listening has increased during the lockdown (BBC News, 2021). I guess most of us need an extra boost to get through these challenging times, right?
I, myself, start my day with some pumped-up music while sipping my coffee. Slowly grooving to my favorite beats definitely help in awakening my senses. As I begin my workday, whether it be doing research or designing a new project, listening to music also helps in fueling my creativity. Experiments have shown that music, especially lively ones, can positively affect efficiency at work (Fox and Embrey, 1972).
During my work stint at Traders by Shangri-La and JEN Manila by Shangri-La, we mounted speakers in the locker rooms, in hallways, and in high-traffic areas so that colleagues could hear some upbeat songs that could help create a “feel-good” environment in a busy hospitality workplace. Whenever I run out of ideas, I just listen to some songs, and I instantly get some inspiration. When I have to do more challenging tasks such as writing long reports or new brand guidelines, classical music by Mozart, worship songs from Hillsong, or instrumental music are my go-to beats to help me focus.
Daily, I listen to the JEN Spotify Playlist, the JEN Urban Rhythms (Click here https://spoti.fi/3diP8K6), featuring rising Asian artists from all over the world. I was once a stranger to artists such as Gentle Bones, Songkran Rangsan, Yuna, and Rich Brian, but now, I’ve almost memorised the lyrics of their songs! The lyrics, beat, and tempo of their music help me not only in re-focusing on my work but also in having an over-all good mood. After work, I listen to Eminem, Black Eyed Peas or Jackson Wang during workout sessions at the gym, while songs by The Beatles, Bruno Mars, or my favorite OPM (Original Pinoy Music) band Eraserheads are in my playlist while cooking dinner.
Not everyone has the same taste in music. Studies show that different types of music have different effects on mood, tension, and mental clarity (McCraty et al, 1998). Moreover, not all trending songs can be understood by everyone, but they still become hits! Remember the 90’s craze Macarena? Or 2012’s Oppa Gangnam Style? Both use languages that are foreign to me, but I still listened to them, and both became popular all over the world.
Maybe music has this certain magic that can create connections between people through its beat and catchy rhythm, bringing a sense of joy through our ears and to our minds and souls.
How about you? What are your go-to songs? Are there any songs that you can recommend for light work, deep work, for school, or for relaxation?
References:
BBC News (2021). Music listening soared during lockdown.
Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55528392
Fox, J.G. and Embrey, E.D. (1972). Music – an aid to productivity.
Applied Ergonomics, 3(4), 202-205
McCraty, R. et al. (1998). The effects of different types of music on mood, tension,
and mental clarity. Alternative Therapies, 4(1)
Connecting Expatriates to their Financial Independence | ExpatBridge | Husband | Soli Deo Gloria | Author
3 年nice post-RB, I used to listen to some Filipino hip-hop artists growing up, an artist like ghetto doggs, Andrew E, familia di magiba to name a few. Yet to connect with your great post, this genre of music has a great impact on someone’s cognitive behaviour. I still listen to hip-hop songs though but I senselessly pick the artist. They say You can take the man out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the me..hahah Thats, why my go-to music, is still hiphop but with inspiring lyrics like Lecrae and to connect my faith as well. Thanks for sharing RB, keep it up.??
Chief Operating Officer at BAUEROV SYSTEM INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED
3 年Amazing enjoying every single thing! Free your self on stress ????? nice one brother!
Director of Sales - Hilton Manila
3 年My pick-me-uppers at work is a diverse playlists include Coldplay, Jason Mraz, One Republic, Maroon 5, Chainsmokers, Jamie Cullum, Michael Buble, John Mayer, and some OPM from Eraserheads, Ebe Dancel, UDD, and Ben&Ben. But agree that music stimulates productivity for me, particularly when needing focus or creative juices.