5 Senses that Boost Productivity: Sound

Remember our piece on sight? -This week on our series on how each of the five senses boosts productivity: sound. In our working lives, we use our sense of sound to communicate with each other, mostly yet there are numerous other sounds that occur, some of them beneficial, some of them less so but rather than play it by ear, here are some sounds you may want to listen to in order to help get the job done.

Rain

This one is hard to manipulate if you’re not a warlock or nymph who can influence the water cycle, however, with the dawn of the internet you can go on sites such as RainingFM and take your pick from light showers, monsoons and even a couple of claps of thunder. There are even playlists available for those who just love the sound of running water. Best for employees who do their best work alone, it reduces stress and boosts mood.

Silence

This one is a bit of a cheat because true silence arguably doesn’t exist and would require a person to sit in a vacuum or be blasted into space with no oxygen. Enough of the science, though, we mean relative peace and quiet. The gentle hum of the aircon is acceptable but the dissipation of office chatter can do anyone’s workload the world of good. Sound is often a distraction.

Classical Music

If you’ve ever gone into a McDonalds or certain underground stations across London late at night or in the early hours of the morning, you’ll notice that some branches/stations put on Classical FM. It has an interesting effect on the clientele and the staff who all go into a civil, tranquil trance, of sorts. This is because according to radiologists, baroque music helps improve concentration on work and mood generally. Stick on some Bach or Vivaldi next time you’re stuck in a rut.

Video Game Soundtracks

Video games can be conducive to work or can spiral into crippling addictions, luckily we aren’t on about the visuals today. We instead focus on their audio accompaniments. They are often produced to make the game more enjoyable, this is the primary focus of video game soundtracks. They are designed to make you keep playing and are a form of work. They motivate you to get into a rhythm and as such can be applied to most other kinds of work.

Here’s a Sonic soundtrack. Enjoy …

Hans Zimmer

The man behind the lion’s share of Hollywood film scores specialises in epic blockbusters and adventure movies and as such knows a thing or two about energising an audience. He accompanies his air vibrations to sensationalist action pieces and moving melodrama. If there’s a composer who knows how to manipulate your mood its Hans Zimmer.