What is the Optimal Work Environment?
For today’s post I just wanted to ask a bit of a random question: do you work well with music or do you prefer it to be silent?
I know that everyone has a different answer to this, and I’ve found that even for myself it sort of depends on the day. But what do you prefer? Do you need the backgound noise to function, or does it distract you too much?
The Optimal Environment
For me, I prefer to have some music or something playing if I’m doing anything that makes me think. But it has to be music that I’m very very familiar with. I swear I have ADD, because if too many things are going on around me (other conversations, etc.) I have a hard time focusing on what I’m doing. So I’ve found that for me personally I have to crank up the music to drown everything else out.
So what is the optimal environment for you?
Working Effectively
My main point in writing this post is to hopefully get you to think about the way that you work. But I’m also not here to preach to you that working a certain way or with a certain noise level is the best. You have to find what works for you.
I’ve known some people that work very well with the TV on, other people don’t. Some don’t work well with music going, but I find that it’s the way I work best (especially instrumental).
So find your best way to work effectively and efficiently. Experiment. Try different things. If something doesn’t work, then try something else! But do what you can to be the most efficient that you can with your time. You’ll notice that it makes a huge difference.
So I’d really like some comments on this one. If you have any suggestions for people on what they can do to have a great work environment, feel free to share them below. Share your own experiences, too!
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optimal music for me is something that help me out to make me smiling and enthusiastic while keeping on with my work….. like some soothing music which can be pleasure listening
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Dan Reply:
October 6th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Nice. Yeah, I can’t see myself being very productive if I was listening to angry music
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I have the have music, It doesn’t really matter what the music is but I work much more effectively if I have music going! I tend to work best to a little Jack Johnson!
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Beau Reply:
October 6th, 2008 at 10:24 am
*I have to have the music! (Don’t know where I learned English!)
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Dan Reply:
October 6th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I’m the same way, although I don’t listen to Jack Johnson
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I prefer to work with no singing music unless im super tired or bored and need the background noise to keep me awake. Tv is definitely too much of a distraction, however, the chatter of coworkers do not bother me. Go figure? Instrumental music is okay but makes me sleepy sometimes, so my optimal work environment preference is complete silence, aside from the birds singing.
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Dan Reply:
October 6th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Thanks for sharing your opinion! I find it really interesting how everyone answers this question differently.
For instrumental lately I’ve usually preferred instrumental rock. I have the same problem of falling asleep if it’s something like classical.
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I work best with the baseball playoffs blairing in the background. other than that, I do like music as it helps me escape this hell I call an office. LOL
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Dan Reply:
October 7th, 2008 at 6:16 am
Baseball playoffs huh? Hey, whatever works for you I guess! I know I’d get totally distracted with that.
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music helps me to be more productive
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Dan Reply:
October 7th, 2008 at 6:16 am
hey itot, is there any particular kind of music that you prefer to keep you productive?
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itot Reply:
October 7th, 2008 at 9:38 am
rock music. i’m in a rock band before
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Dan Reply:
October 7th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
oh cool! I was in a rock/fusion band for a couple of months. Thanks for the comment.
I agree that it depends on the day. Generally I like it quiet, maybe a bit of music in the background. I’ve been working a lot lately to figure out what is the best way to stay organized and work most effectively. I lean to having it silent though so I can concentrate. As I’m typing this though I listing to Weezer’s “Beverly Hills” and rockin!
Good question!
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Dan Reply:
October 7th, 2008 at 6:17 am
I think it also depends on what you’re doing. I have a hard time doing intense reading and listening to something at the same time, but then again sometimes I can’t focus unless I do. I swear I’m ADD!
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music soothes my soul while working!
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Dan Reply:
October 7th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Hey Colin, what type of music specifically do you prefer?
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Music (80’s if you must know!) if I have to do heavy spreadsheet work that’ll take a while. otherwise, I’m on the phone a lot, so the music thing only lasts a few minutes at a time.
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Dan Reply:
October 7th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
some great stuff came out of the 80’s so it’s nothing to be shy about. Thanks for sharing!
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music make me feel peaceful.
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Dan Reply:
October 9th, 2008 at 8:17 am
What kind of music do you prefer to listen to when you work to make you feel peaceful?
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Music makes me happy and this is very true for me. And you can really ease your tensions with some good music.
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Dan Reply:
October 9th, 2008 at 8:18 am
So what type of music do you use to ease your tensions?
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do you know hindi music? Bollywood?
I listen to old hindi songs.
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Dan Reply:
October 9th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Nope, can’t say that I know any of those. But hey, whatever works for you is great!
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There are days I prefer the silence, but most days I put on my headphones and turn pandora on. I have about 10 different stations programmed there that have been so tweaked that I can just about predict who’s song will play next. My newest favorite pandora stations are Queen Radio and Eric Clapton Radio.
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Dan Reply:
October 9th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I’ve used Pandora a lot too. I have an instrumental rock station that is pretty well tweaked as well. Lately though I’ve been experimenting with Playlist.com. It’s pretty nice because you can choose the songs you want to listen to. Both are great though!
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I will check out playlist.com too - thanks for the tip!
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Dan Reply:
October 10th, 2008 at 7:17 am
I hope you like it!
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I can’t think with any music turned on, when I need to think something over - I need to turn off all the sources for noise. There is a single case when music is OK - it is when I do some job that is 100% familiar and can be done automatically without much thinking.
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Dan Reply:
October 28th, 2008 at 6:21 am
I can relate to that. But I find that for me, if it’s too quiet I lose focus even more because my thoughts wander more. It’s almost like I have to have something in front of me to keep my conscious mind focused, but then have some kind of music in the background to keep my subconscious busy as well.
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It all depends on what I`m doing. If I need a lot of concentration then I prefer silence (I can put up with the birds twittering in the trees), but as for music, then no, too much of a distraction.
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Dan Reply:
October 16th, 2008 at 7:29 am
I have those moments as well, but sometimes for me the birds are more distracting than the music!
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Whilst coding I need complete silence or I can’t concentrate at all.
For more mundane tasks I like to have the radio on quietly.
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Dan Reply:
October 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I can see that. Lately I’m noticing that it really depends on the day and what I’m doing.
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Soft music yes, but if it`s too loud, or rock-type music, I find it hard to concentrate on what I`m doing.
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Dan Reply:
October 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I can’t concentrate with anything but rock music! But it also depends on the song.
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Nice bog you have here. I pretty much lurk the internet when I’m bored and read all I can about the organic lifestyle, but I really liked you view on things. I’ll bookmark the site and subscribe to the feed!
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Dan Reply:
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Glad you liked it!
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I don’t mind working either with or without music… but the 8-hr wait to go home just kills me…
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Dan Reply:
November 11th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Time to switch jobs???
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I can work with music playing, but the tv is usually too distracting for me. But the best is just plain old quiet. Lets me think while I work, which can be handy sometimes
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It unabridged depends on what I`m doing. If I eagerness a party of concentration since I prefer downfall (I incumbency practice spreading with the birds twittering effect the trees), but as considering music, consequently no, uncommonly very of a distraction.
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I love listening to music while Im working. Im just glad that I can with my job, or I think I would go nuts.
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Music - it depends on the type of work I’m doing. Some background music is nice unless I really need to concentrate, such as writing or maths.
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I’ve got the opposite preferences - when I’m thinking, I can’t have the music on and I’d rather have people chatting around me. But when I’m doing routine work, then I prefer to listen to the music because it helps me to relax. Everyone is different!
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It can really depend on the person, but I find I do the best work when it is nice and quiet, I have a cup of coffee and the ocean breeze is coming in. Yea, gotta love living near water!
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