Music’s effect on energy
Where/when do you listen to music?
I used to rarely listen to music. In the car, for sure, and then sometimes while running/exercising. But I never listened to it while walking to work or riding the train, even though I wondered why so many people I would see walking around in Chicago had headphones on. A lot of people do!
I asked for wireless headphones for Christmas, in hopes of avoiding this while running:
I know that doesn’t look like me messing around with the headphones, but it indeed, is me.
I received the Plantronics BackBeat 906 wireless headphones, and decided to experiment with listening to music on the train and while walking to/from work. Surprisingly, listening to music really pepped me up on my walk to work! I found myself arriving in a good mood! Imagine that!
It actually shouldn’t be a surprise. There are countless studies out there about how music energizes us, helps us exercise better (it can reduce your perception of pain and help with your tempo), and helps us get certain tasks done more efficiently when listening to certain music.*
Do you purposefully use music to energize you?
I always feel like I am behind on music, because I read blogs where the authors are really in to music, but I basically just listen to whatever is on the radio and some of my favorite “blast from the past” songs. I don’t research music much, or know what is going on with current trends. I am not interested in new artists. And even though we have whole-house audio, I don’t take very good of advantage of it. Me so lame.
I should mention, in case anyone is ever interested in purchasing the wireless headphones that I have, that the bluetooth adapter is not reliable. At all. It broke within the first day I had it, then I got a new one, and it worked intermittently. So, we went past the bluetooth adapter route and bought a micro SD card for my phone, so I can use the music player and bluetooth from my phone to connect to the headphones (which work to answer calls too). So far it works, but skips (or does something that sounds similar to skipping) when I walk. It should be interesting to see how it works when I am running.
*Studies say that listening to certain types of music help people perform tasks better that they are already good at doing, but that music can distract from tasks we are not good at. I don’t know about you, but I cannot read/work and listen to music at the same time.
Themocracy
I pretty much just listen to music when I workout and in the car. I try to keep the music positive so I’m in a positive mood. Although, I still love grunge music sometimes…
I can’t listen to music while I work or read emails or anything like that. It’s too distracting.
I can’t either. If I am going to listen to music while I am reading blogs, it has to be orchestral or techno or something. And even that is hard!
i listen to music at work, and in the car. i bought some sweet headphones when i started my job, because there’s no carpet on our floor and with the way the building is designed you can hear EVERYTHING. i get distracted by folks talking, etc so i normally listen to Pandora or Charlie FM (one of those ‘we play anything’ stations). sometimes i find myself rockin’ out for a song right at my desk. haha. good thing my door’s not open. =)
I always listen to music in the car. Its pretty rare that I don’t – although sometimes I do like a quiet moment. I listen to music at the gym sometimes – usually when I am running on the treadmill. Otherwise I just sit on the bike or elliptical and read. at work I rarely listen to music. Just when I am doing mindless tasks.
I go in and out of if I’m actually listening to it. Maybe it helps me zone? Or maybe it’s there for backup?
Either way, I do not enjoy going into a run knowing I don’t have it!
If I really want to get something done at home, I turn on the tunes. It keeps me going, and keeps me from turning on the blasted TV and plopping down in front of it.
Music was a must when I went to the gym – I occassionally listen to it on my commute. Sometimes I will listen to it really low at work, but it’s rare. You are so right about music being an uplifter. I should start to listen to it more. Maybe I should try some music in the delivery room?
I listen to music on the train in the mornings but not usually in the afternoon (I’m too worried I’ll fall asleep and miss my stop… but I can sleep without headphones on and have yet to miss my stop *knock on wood*).
I also listen most of the time on the treadmill or on solo runs on the trails by my apartment.
Occasionally I will listen to music at work if I really need to focus and get something done. It’s less distracting than regular office noise for some reason.
I like the idea of wireless headphones! I listen to Pandora.com at work because my office has no walls and the talking gets distracting. In the car I generally listen to the CBC (a Canadian government-funded radio station that is mostly current affairs and interviews with some music, sounds boring, but it is not!). At home or on my commute, which is pretty short, 20 mins, I generally don’t listen to anything.
I’ve been so turned off by what’s popular the last few years that I almost only listen to indie-type music or older stuff.
But a good pop song is great when running. I find Outkast – BOB and The Barenaked Ladies – Grade 9 both have the perfect running tempo for me.
I really only listen to music in the car or while exercising. Occasionally, I’ll put it on while I’m cleaning but I don’t like having it on when I’m doing homework or blogging, and especially not while I’m reading!
I listen to music all the time. Getting ready for work, driving to work, while at work, drive home from work. My iPod goes everywhere with me.
I used to listen to it much more, but now, in the car and while running. Sometimes I’ll turn it on in the kitchen. But I can’t read or write or concentrate with it on…
I listen to music when I run by myself, in the car (probably 80% of the time. The other 20% I’m listening to NPR), and when I clean. Sometimes when I’m making dinner. Good music definitely puts me in a better mood. I prefer to listen to podcasts on the train, though. Not sure why.
I listen to music all-the-time! I love upbeat music when I’m cleaning especially – it’s the only way I get through the awful chores! and, of course, while running, or spinning.
However, I don’t listen to music when I’m lifting weights – just doesn’t work for me.
Mmkay, I just love the fact that you’re listening to “Tonight (I’m F—ing You)”. I laughed. Out loud. 😉
I used to mess with my headphones while I was running all the time too. Drove me crazy. Either I’d catch the cord between my legs or the wind would knock them out of my ears. I ended up getting a Nike headband that covers my ears. It’s a quick dry material and thin enough that I can wear it in the heat without it bothering me. I LOVE that thing!
BTW, that song on your phone reminds me of that song by Notorious B.I.G. (I know that song on your phone is Enrique Iglesias)
I listen to music a lot. I have 4 iPods that I use on a regular basis: 30gb, 16gb nano, iPhone and a 1gb iPod shuffle. Seems like overkill, but I always have a pair of headphones and an iPod with me almost anywhere I am. I wish I could listen with my headphones at work, but I get interrupted way too often. I listen to iTunes on my laptop a lot, both at work and at home, but I have to watch what music I listen to (some songs are NSFW).
I would like to find a pair of headphones that drowns out loud noises (like when I’m mowing the lawn) so I don’t have to crank the volume up so loud.