Mental Moment-Music Positively Affects Performance

I have written several blogs on the power of music. Years ago I was a contributor to an article in the London Times about the power of music to working out. I read an article in the NY Times yesterday that reinforced all of the positive benefits that I’ve ever preached. 🙂 The article The Power of Music, Tapped in a Cubicle was written about research done in work areas but the physiological information would hold true to elite performers as well.

The use of music

When I work with clients I use music in several ways but two of the primary ways I use music is to hone focus and balance energy at the beginning of a performance.

1. Focus-when elite performers are struggling with focus I use a lot of mindfulness but I also use music. I suggest that clients choose a piece of music, with words, that they enjoy; music they can sing along to.

• The first exercise (day): listen to that piece of music as you are doing something ‘mindless’ but only until you realize that you’ve stopped listening and starting thinking about something else. Think about how long you thought it took you to realize you had drifted off.
• The second exercise (day:  listen to that piece of music as you are doing something ‘mindless’ but only until you realize that you’ve stopped listening and starting thinking about something else. This time however, start the piece of music over and see if you can go further into the piece of music without drifting off. Think about how long you thought it took you to realize you had drifted off and anything else you learned from this experience.
• The third exercise (day):  listen to that piece of music as you are doing something ‘mindless’ but only until you realize that you’ve stopped listening and starting thinking about something else. This time however, start the piece of music over and see if you can go further into the piece of music without drifting off.  This time if you drift off, gently bring yourself back to the music. Think about how long you thought it took you to realize you had drifted off and anything else you learned from this experience.

What does this do? Not only does it help hone focus, but it helps elite performers become more aware of how and when they are losing focus and lastly, how to bring their focus back to the present moment. 🙂

2. Pre-performance routine-when elite performers are struggling with performance anxiety I suggest they put a ‘special’ playlist together for pre-performance (either increasing or decreasing energy) or if they are using imagery, adding music to their imagery.

• One of my professional tennis players was struggling with being ‘ready’ for the first game of her sets and is using energizing music during her warm-up to increase her energy. It’s helping her be more prepared to start playing as soon as she walks on the court.
• One of my elite marathoners had way too much energy before her races. After she wrote her imagery script she taped it and added some instrumental music. This has helped to squelch the nerves and anxiety before a race. She has become much more calm and stable.

Music can calm nervous, anxious energy and it can pump you up if you do not have enough energy. It also helps you stay focused on the task at hand and allows you to take control of what generally seems like an uncontrollable environment.

“People’s minds tend to wander, and we know that a wandering mind is unhappy, Dr. Sood said. Most of that time, we are focusing on the imperfections of life. Music can bring us back to the present moment”.

Additional benefits

In biological terms, melodious sounds help encourage the release of dopamine in the reward area of the brain, as would eating a delicacy, looking at something appealing or smelling a pleasant aroma, said Dr. Amit Sood, a physician of integrative medicine with the Mayo Clinic. 

It breaks you out of just thinking one way, said Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami.

Dr. Lesiuk’s research focuses on how music affects workplace performance. In one study involving information technology specialists, she found that those who listened to music completed their tasks more quickly and came up with better ideas than those who didn’t, because the music improved their mood.

When you’re stressed, you might make a decision more hastily; you have a very narrow focus of attention, she said. When you’re in a positive mood, you’re able to take in more options.

Happy Week!

Dr. Michelle

Photo credit: yurbuds.com