Make your commute more meaningful with the power of music
"Recommended BGM" Explained: 3 Features
How do you spend your commute?
I'm sure you're finding ways to spend your stressful commute by playing app games, contacting friends, and other ways. While it's fine to spend your time like this, I also recommend using the "power of music" to make your commute more enjoyable.
In this article, we will explain the characteristics of background music that you might want to listen to while commuting.
Use the following tips to find the music that suits you best.
Feature 1. Aims to induce emotions and behavior! Bright, fast-paced pop music
To get through the day's work energetically, try to raise your spirits and create a positive mood during your commute. We recommend uplifting pop music.
Music is thought to have both an emotional and behavioral inducing effect. It is said that music has the power to move emotions in a short period of time and, as a result, change behavior.
Professor Ronald Milliman of the United States conducted an experiment to see what changes in behavior would occur when listening to background music with fast and slow tempos. The results showed that listening to background music with fast tempos led to faster walking than listening to music with slow tempos. [Note 1]
To boost your energy and get through the day, we recommend listening to upbeat, fast-paced music on your commute. For this reason, it's a good idea to choose your favorite upbeat pop music. Familiar pop music will help you get energized and ready to tackle work in the morning.
Feature 2. Healing music with "1/f fluctuation" related to relaxation
A British psychologist conducted the following experiment.
When the heart rates and blood pressures of commuters were compared with those of police and pilots in training, the surprising result was that commuters were under greater stress.
One of the reasons for this is that commuters are stuck in crowded trains and have few options for dealing with the situation. [Note 2]
I think it would be very depressing to go to work every day in that condition.
I would like to find a way to overcome this situation, but there is only so much I can do on a crowded train.
So what I would like to recommend is listening to music that has "1/f fluctuations."
"1/f fluctuation" is said to be latent in nature, such as the flickering flame of a candle, the murmuring of a river, the sound of waves lapping on the beach, the interval between heartbeats, breathing, etc. These are said to have the effect of stimulating alpha waves, which are generated in the brain when humans are relaxed.
Phenomena involving 1/f fluctuations are not necessarily music or sound, but if you want to incorporate them as background music, we recommend healing music created through research into the healing effects of music.
Healing music also includes music with 1/f fluctuations that incorporate environmental sounds from nature.
It will help to ease the stress of crowded trains and the fatigue that builds up from working hard.
[Note 2] CNET: Commute stress out of control?
Feature 3. For those who read and study! Classical music with no lyrics, minimal intonation, and long, slow tempos
If you want to concentrate on reading or studying during your commute, we also recommend listening to classical music as background music during your commute.
For example, if your commute time is one hour one way, it will be two hours round trip, which, when calculated over the number of working days, comes to approximately 486 hours (based on the average number of weekdays in a year being 243).
If you use this time meaningfully, you might be able to achieve something you've always wanted to do, such as improving your vocabulary or learning English. So, why not try using the power of music to make your time even more efficient?
Music that helps you concentrate is characterized by songs without lyrics, few changes in rhythm, and long, slow tempos. Classical music is the best type of music that fits these criteria.
Classical music, with its long melodies and structured stories, is thought to stimulate the brain. The A10 nerve, one of the nerves in the brain, secretes dopamine, a compound related to concentration, and classical music is said to be particularly effective in stimulating this A10 nerve.
With the spread of smartphones, we can now do anything with apps, and even on the train, you can get some work done without taking up space. Try listening to classical music to improve your concentration and try out a variety of different things.
Bonus: Block out surrounding noise with the "masking effect"
Have you ever noticed that as soon as you turn off your air conditioner, you start to notice the noise of your refrigerator or clock?
When two sounds are played at the same time, one sound will drown out the other, making it difficult to hear. This phenomenon is called the "masking effect."
This "masking effect" can be expected to be effective for music in general.
Commuter trains are full of noises that can be stressful for some people, such as the sound of the train, people's voices, breathing, etc. Listen to music to block out these noises with its masking effect.
Make your commute more meaningful with the power of music that suits you
This time, we've summarized three features you can expect from listening to music during your commute.
Use this article to help you find the music that suits you best and make your daily life more meaningful.