音樂如何塑造大腦並提高工作效率

How Music Enhances Your Brain and Boosts Productivity

音樂如何塑造大腦並提高工作效率

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.

音樂是否應該應用於工作環境的問題爭論已久。從學習到辦公，再到鍛鍊，衆多研究人員研究了音樂對大腦的影響，以及作爲集體的我們應如何在需要一定程度注意力集中的空間內接受或避免音樂的影響。

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.

看看下面這些已有的研究，我們就能理解音樂對大腦有何益處，以及它在某些場合會分散我們的注意力。

1. Strengthen your brain

強化大腦

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.

大多數人要麼右腦發達，要麼左腦發達，這與我們的邏輯和創造力大致相關，儘管其中的過程比這個解釋要複雜得多。然而，音樂家的左腦和右腦的發達程度則更對稱。

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.

他們在傳統智力測驗中會得到更高的分數，這說明他們的左右腦能更好地協同工作。研究人員還發現，音樂傢俱有更強大的空間關係想象力，展現了一種我們還未完全理解的音樂和視覺之間的關係。

2. Eases task fatigue

緩解工作疲勞

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.

當你需要完成一項重複的工作，它一旦掌握就不需要花費太多注意力時，音樂是一種不錯的緩解工作疲勞的方法。工作疲勞指的是一遍又一遍重複某項工作可能會讓人感到無聊、枯燥和乏味。

3. Reduces sensory input

減弱感覺輸入

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.

隨着公衆對自閉症和多動症的意識不斷提高，老闆越來越有可能接受員工指出，如果他們可以戴上耳機播放自己喜歡的音樂，他們會更好地完成工作。研究支持這樣的觀點：單一的噪聲抑制會讓人感到不舒服，但在繁忙的環境中，專注於一些音樂能使感覺輸入變得更易於接受。

4. Improves mood

改善情緒

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.

我們早就知道音樂能促進多巴胺的產生，基於此在某些情況下音樂治療是一種有效的治療方式。多巴胺是大腦中的一種化學物質，在獎勵的過程中會釋放出來，所以當我們完成任務時，讓音樂促進多巴胺的分泌，有助於我們在任務完成後有被獎勵和更加強大的感覺，否則我們會感到非常沮喪。

5. Stay focused in the moment

着眼當下

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.

音樂的一個特別有用的方面是它標誌着時間的流逝。特別是當你在做一些重複性的、不太感興趣的事情時，時間似乎會變慢。

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.

而音樂能在時間上創造出更明確的界限，所以你更容易準確地感知時間，不會因爲感覺自己一直在做這份工作而喪氣。

6. Create community

創造社羣

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.

如果你曾是一個樂隊、音樂或歌曲的粉絲，你就知道音樂是可以創造社羣的。談論音樂讓我們有機會了解另一個人，而不必過於深入地探討個人細節。

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

在工作環境中，支持性的友誼的形成有助於創造一個積極的工作環境，而社羣就能成爲一個積極的因素。

7. Support positive work environment

營造積極的工作環境

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.

允許員工帶着耳機聽自己喜歡的音樂，能極大地幫助員工集中注意力，避免分心。即使他們爲了能聽到其他需要找他們的人的聲音而只戴一個耳機或耳塞，他們的注意力也或多或少會得到顯著提升。

8. Increase motivation

增強動力

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.

當員工不再因一項又一項工作拖垮時，他們會在工作中更快樂，並且有充沛的精力應對所有的工作。即使是他們通常喜歡的事情，也會用更快樂和創新的方式來對待。

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.

研究人員發現，有些類型的音樂更適合工作場所，沒有歌詞的輕音樂和融入自然世界聲音的音樂比有歌詞的音樂更令人放鬆。熟悉的音樂比新音樂更令人放鬆。