How Music Enhances Your Brain and Boosts Productivity

音乐如何塑造大脑并提高工作效率

An ongoing debate focuses on whether or not music belongs in your workspace. From studying to working in an office to exercising, many different researchers have considered what effect music has on our brains, and how we should as a society embrace or shun music in spaces that require a certain amount of concentration.

音乐是否应该应用于工作环境的问题争论已久。从学习到办公，再到锻炼，众多研究人员研究了音乐对大脑的影响，以及作为集体的我们应如何在需要一定程度注意力集中的空间内接受或避免音乐的影响。

Let's take a look at the available research so that we can understand how music supports the brain and the places where it serves as a distraction.

看看下面这些已有的研究，我们就能理解音乐对大脑有何益处，以及它在某些场合会分散我们的注意力。

 

1. Strengthen your brain

强化大脑

Most of us have brains that are larger on either the right or left side; this roughly correlates to our skills with logic and creativity, although the processes are much more complicated than that explanation indicates. Musicians, however, have brains that are much more likely to be symmetrical.

大多数人要么右脑发达，要么左脑发达，这与我们的逻辑和创造力大致相关，尽管其中的过程比这个解释要复杂得多。然而，音乐家的左脑和右脑的发达程度则更对称。

They show higher scores on traditional intelligence tests, indicating that the two sides of their brain work better together. Researchers have also found that musicians have improved spatial relationship skills, showing a correlation between music and visual skills that we don't fully understand yet.

他们在传统智力测验中会得到更高的分数，这说明他们的左右脑能更好地协同工作。研究人员还发现，音乐家具有更强大的空间关系想象力，展现了一种我们还未完全理解的音乐和视觉之间的关系。

 

2. Eases task fatigue

缓解工作疲劳

When you need to complete a repetitive task that doesn't require a great deal of attention once it is learned, music is a critical way to reduce task fatigue. Task fatigue refers to how completing a task over and over can start to feel boring and frustrating.

当你需要完成一项重复的工作，它一旦掌握就不需要花费太多注意力时，音乐是一种不错的缓解工作疲劳的方法。工作疲劳指的是一遍又一遍重复某项工作可能会让人感到无聊、枯燥和乏味。

 

3. Reduces sensory input

减弱感觉输入

With more awareness of autism and ADHD in the public sphere, it's likely that employers may start to have employees explaining that they will do better at work if they can put on headphones playing their own music. Research supports the idea that simple noise suppression is uncomfortable, but that in busy environments, having some music to focus on can make sensory input bearable.

随着公众对自闭症和多动症的意识不断提高，老板越来越有可能接受员工指出，如果他们可以戴上耳机播放自己喜欢的音乐，他们会更好地完成工作。研究支持这样的观点：单一的噪声抑制会让人感到不舒服，但在繁忙的环境中，专注于一些音乐能使感觉输入变得更易于接受。

 

4. Improves mood

改善情绪

We have long since known that music increase dopamine production, so much so that music therapy is a valid technique in some situations. Dopamine is the brain chemical that is released during rewards, so having music boosting dopamine levels while completing tasks can help us feel rewarded and powerful while completing tasks that otherwise can feel very frustrating.

我们早就知道音乐能促进多巴胺的产生，基于此在某些情况下音乐治疗是一种有效的治疗方式。多巴胺是大脑中的一种化学物质，在奖励的过程中会释放出来，所以当我们完成任务时，让音乐促进多巴胺的分泌，有助于我们在任务完成后有被奖励和更加强大的感觉，否则我们会感到非常沮丧。

 

5. Stay focused in the moment

着眼当下

One of the ways that music is particularly helpful is that it marks the passage of time. Especially when you're working on something repetitive and not particularly engaging, time can seem to dilate.

音乐的一个特别有用的方面是它标志着时间的流逝。特别是当你在做一些重复性的、不太感兴趣的事情时，时间似乎会变慢。

Since music creates a more deliberate demarcation in time, it's easier to keep your perception of time accurate, and not get discouraged by feeling like you've been doing the job forever.

而音乐能在时间上创造出更明确的界限，所以你更容易准确地感知时间，不会因为感觉自己一直在做这份工作而丧气。

 

6. Create community

创造社群

If you've ever been a fan of a band, music, or song, you know that community can be created around music. Talking about music gives us a chance to get to know another person without delving too deeply into personal particulars.

如果你曾是一个乐队、音乐或歌曲的粉丝，你就知道音乐是可以创造社群的。谈论音乐让我们有机会了解另一个人，而不必过于深入地探讨个人细节。

In a work environment, where supporting work friendships helps to create a positive work environment, the community can be a valuable benefit.

在工作环境中，支持性的友谊的形成有助于创造一个积极的工作环境，而社群就能成为一个积极的因素。

 

7. Support positive work environment

营造积极的工作环境

Allowing employees to bring in their own music to listen to on headphones can greatly help employees to focus and avoid distractions. Even if they only put one headphone on or earbud in, so that they can hear someone trying to catch their attention, their ability to focus and concentrate will probably be dramatically improved.

允许员工带着耳机听自己喜欢的音乐，能极大地帮助员工集中注意力，避免分心。即使他们为了能听到其他需要找他们的人的声音而只戴一个耳机或耳塞，他们的注意力也或多或少会得到显著提升。

 

8. Increase motivation

增强动力

When employees aren't dragged down by one task after another, they are happier at work overall and have more energy for all of their work. Even the things they normally enjoyed can be approached with more joy and innovation.

当员工不再因一项又一项工作拖垮时，他们会在工作中更快乐，并且有充沛的精力应对所有的工作。即使是他们通常喜欢的事情，也会用更快乐和创新的方式来对待。

Researchers have found that some types of music are better for workplaces than others; music without lyrics and music that incorporates the sounds of the natural world are more relaxing than music with lyrics. Familiar music is more relaxing than new music.

研究人员发现，有些类型的音乐更适合工作场所，没有歌词的轻音乐和融入自然世界声音的音乐比有歌词的音乐更令人放松。熟悉的音乐比新音乐更令人放松。