Work Hack: Enhancing your productivity through music

Picture your typical office. Everyone is minding their own business, with papers rustling about, and people scampering back and forth to and from their cubicles. There’s also the occasional whirr of the photocopier and the printer nearby.

Then there’s the usual chatter of your officemates talking to each other, whether it’s about the report their supervisor is nagging them to hand over or what happened between Mr. Random Joe and his supposed office crush.

Not to mention the boss randomly marching out of his corner office and calling out people for those papers he wants on his desk.

Minimalist Office Desk

All of these can pull your brain right out of the zone.

When distractions are everywhere, productivity generally suffers. For that reason, people tend to be not as productive as they want to be in the office.

This may not often be the case for freelancers and work-from-home types, but in any environment, there can still be distractions. At home, there’s the capricious opening and closing of doors by housemates. In a coworking space, people’s voices may be in earshot, like when there’s a group brainstorming in the adjacent desk.

Even with these fewer distractions, you may still end up not doing as much as you want to. So what can you do to squeeze out more creativity that’s hidden in the lazy part of your brain? Surely there must be some easy productivity hack out there.

Music is the answer.

But not just any kind of music. It should be the type that encourages you to focus on the tasks you need to accomplish. Here are the three best categories to boost your productivity:

1. Classical music. Tunes from the likes of Bach, Vivaldi, and Pachelbel all have this relaxing quality in common. There are no lyrics in these pieces, so there are no other words to distract you from your work. This is especially helpful if you are researching or writing. Your focus will not be diverted away from the words you are reading or typing. Classical music and a keyboard are the best combination of work and music.
2. Epic music. Two Steps from Hell, Nick Phoenix, and Audiomachine come to mind, as well as film scores composed by Hans Zimmer and the like. The combined sounds of trombones, bass drums, strings, and orchestral vocals evoke a feeling like no other: as if the work you’re doing is something that will truly change the world. If you haven’t yet tried it, epic music is guaranteed to skyrocket your freelancer productivity.
3. Video game music. Games producers know this very well: to get players in the mood to complete a level, the background music must provide them with enough motivation to conquer it. The often repetitive nature of video game music allows you to concentrate more on the task at hand than the tune you are hearing in the background. It’s also balanced with a good dose of epicness to keep you going no matter what! Check out the soundtracks of games like Final Fantasy, Halo, and The Legend of Zelda to get a feel of what they’re like.

Also if you want some chill vibes while working, check out this playlist. Take note that these songs do have lyrics, so it may not work for everyone. But if that’s your thing, feel free to use this effective work hack.