Music can help with motivation
Struggling to find the motivation to tackle an unpleasant and repetitive task? Add some music.
McGill University in Montreal have conducted studies that reveal that our brains are stimulated to produce the feel good hormone ‘dopamine’ when listening to music that appeals to us.
Adding music is a simple way to make unpleasant tasks more interesting. Music has been shown to assist in increasing motivation and can be used to help you tackle perceived mundane and unpleasant chores from spring cleaning to cardiovascular exercise.
Dopamine seems to the brain hormone responsible for addiction and cravings. It is also the hormone linked to motivation. Thankfully this is one healthy addiction you can feed, so load up your playlist and put on those headphones.
Another consideration is loading up audio-books. Although you will not benefit from the dopamine rush, the intellectual stimulation will keep you company whilst performing low mental resource tasks such as maintenance and cleaning.
And don’t underestimate the benefits of using music to alleviate stress. Soothing music has a physiological effect, reducing blood pressure, pulse rate and stress hormones and assisting in overcoming insomnia.
Music also helps us to remember to be present, to slow down and appreciate. In the words of Friedrich Nietzsche – “We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.”
Wishing you all a musical and motivating day!
Want to read more about how music can help you? This great article provides more information. Interested in more articles on stress and time management, check out our blog.