Music While You Work
One thing that’s stuck out to me since Spotify started publishing their year in review Spotify Wrapped data is just how much music I listen to in a year. In 2020, I listened to 83,097 minutes of music. In 2019, it was 71,736 minutes of music (in 2019, I made a notable effort to listen to audiobooks on my commute). I’ve always noticed that these numbers are always significantly higher than most of my friends who also share their year wrap ups.
I guess when I think about all the occasions that I actually listen to music, it makes sense.
To be honest, there is hardly a moment in my day when I’m not listening to music. I wake up and like to start some background music as I get into my morning routine. Making coffee and breakfast? I need a soundtrack. Picking out my outfit and getting dressed? Folding my laundry? Taking a shower? Getting ready for bed? Walking to get the mail? Doing any menial task? I always need to be listening to music.
I’m sure there’s research as to why this is bad for me — the fact that I cannot be alone with my thoughts for too long. It probably stifles creativity. Or means that I’m never really focusing on any one thing and therefore am not actually putting my full energy into what’s in front of me.
Regardless of what the science is (I have not looked), I don’t think I really care. I love music. I love listening to music. I love finding new music. I love learning about music. Music is probably what I enjoy most in the world. You know that song Baby Driver by Simon and Garfunkel? There’s a line that goes:
I was born, one dark grey morn, with music coming in my ears.
(My dad was also in fact a family bassman.)
I feel like I must have been born with music already playing in my head. I’ve always had music playing around me. And I cannot imagine not having music on for the majority of the day.
Still, even if I add all the breakfasts, picking out outfits, and walks to the mailbox, the biggest culprit of my literally tens of thousands of minutes of music, has to be listening to music while I work. I mean, I spend I spend 8 hours every day, 5 days a week, just working at a computer.
Given the fact that I just described how much I love music, it should come to no surprise that I must have music on while I’m working. It doesn’t matter the scope of what I’m doing. I could be intensely writing (or even researching) an article and I will have music playing. Hell, I listen to music while I’m reading.
In my personal experience, I need the music on in the background to help me focus. Like a white noise machine. I like having something to tune out. Sitting in silence is usually too distracting to me. Often times, the music just helps me drown out my own personal thoughts racing through my head. (I’m sure someone out there is reading this and saying, ‘that girl needs therapy.’ And you’re probably not wrong.)
I will admit, some music will be too distracting for me to actually work to. If a new record comes out, I want to be actively listening to it and thus I cannot use the music as a white noise machine and cannot focus on my actual work. But I usually don’t find a big distinction between working to music with lyrics and working to instrumental music. Whether I can really tune out the music has more to do with my mood and what the music I’m listening to may be unearthing for me emotionally.
Still, I get a joy out of picking out my music for work. What will I listen to today? What am I craving? What will inspire me? Actually, this can be kind of stressful sometimes. Even though I have probably over a hundred playlists sitting in Spotify, it can be hard to know just what’s right to listen to in the moment. So, maybe my habit is a little bit harmful in that sense. Maybe it’s causing decision fatigue.
I decided to ask my followers on Instagram what their habits were for their personal working while listening to music habits were. 79% of people told me that they did in fact listen to music while they worked. 71% of people told me that the music they listened to when working did have lyrics.
I guess I’m not alone. But I should have done a follow up question asking how much of their working time did they listen to music and if there were some tasks where they felt they really had to be in total silence.
Anyways, here’s what people told me they listened to while working.
- Shuffle All
Honestly, this is total chaos, but I do occasionally do it. Only downside is that a lot of songs you’re not in the mood for pop up which for me means that I pay more attention to the music than what I’m doing. - Movie soundtracks, lofi, Spanish, Italian, French music
All excellent options. - Math Rock, e.g. hella
I don’t know what this means and I’m honestly probably not going to find out. - Deep/relax house music, or anything chill for the most part. It depends on the mood and workload.
I think I also generally pick chill music but there are times when I want really upbeat music to keep me hype.
I also realized that people had a wide variety of what “work” was for them. Not everyone was sitting at a computer writing most of the day like me. Still, I guess even if you’re work is making deliveries all day, it’s not a given that you’d be listening to music. I guess some people really do just drive for hours without a single tune. This is mind boggling to me.
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