It’s that time of the year again. Classes begin, homework adds up, and you’re feeling stressed. We all feel it at one point or another: The September Blues. So, what can you do if you catch these blues?
Personally, one of my favorite things to do is to listen to music while doing my homework. While this may be seen as distracting, listening to music while studying or doing homework has many benefits. Let’s take a deep dive into them and see why you should consider listening to music while studying to cure your September Blues.
One study conducted in 2005 showed that listening to music increases productivity when working. This is due to the fact that music boosts your mood, which makes you more motivated to do your work. Being in a happy mindset is vital while doing homework. Being stressed out over nothing is not fun, so listening to music can actually help relax you and, dare I say, make doing homework more enjoyable.
Music also helps people concentrate on their work. In your brain, you have 2 hemispheres: your left, which mostly controls comprehension-based tasks, and your right, which mostly controls creative-based tasks. When you listen to music while doing homework, both hemispheres are used, which can increase learning ability and keep your brain in shape. Music also helps reduce anxiety and lets you think more clearly, meaning you can focus more on work while listening to music.
Music also helps you improve your memory. When a new song comes out that we love, we tend to listen to the lyrics and memorize them for the sake of enjoyment. However, this has an added benefit: learning lyrics decreases your chance of getting long-term sicknesses like Alzheimer’s. But, don’t multitask learning new lyrics with studying. This can get you off course and can distract you from the task at hand.
You’ve read the benefits of listening to music while doing homework, so what music should you be listening to while doing homework? The music you listen to shouldn’t be loud, crazy, or all over the place. These factors are distracting to the brain and can throw you off task. Studies show listening to classical or low-fi music is the best kind of music to listen to while doing work. But, who wants to listen to boring Beethoven? My personal recommendation is to listen to softer styles of music that you enjoy, but aren’t familiar with. An example of an artist I listen to who fits this criteria is Jeremy Zucker. I love his calm, indie-like style, but I’m not yet familiar with his lyrics. Listening to him helps me relax and concentrate on my work without having to focus on lyrics or crazy beats in the background.
Stress can throw us off our game, but by listening to music, it is easier to get on your feet again. The next time the September Blues add up, consider this article as a chance to help you improve your homework habits and help ease your mind.
