Posted: Monday 21 February 2011
Whether they’re Going Underground, stuck in traffic on the Highway to Hell or taking the Soul Train, workers who listen to music during the morning commute are giving their mental health a boost.
Figures released today by the mental health charity Mind reveal that 74 per cent of employees listen to their favourite songs while commuting and 52 per cent report feeling energised for the day ahead as a result.
Music is shown to be a great pick me up for stressed commuters too with nearly a third of those surveyed admitting to turning to music to give them a lift when they are down about work and almost a quarter (23 per cent) say they find listening to music on the way to the workplace relaxing.
The study also questioned a panel of respondents on Mind’s Facebook and Twitter pages about their commuter listening habits, revealing that Lady Gaga is top of their 'stress-busting' charts. The Bad Romance singer was closely followed by Cheryl Cole, Rhianna, Mumford & Sons and Take That as top of the commuter charts.
Mind found that listening to music not only has an impact on the mood of the nation’s commuters as they negotiate packed buses and trains, it is also has an impact directly in the workplace. Of those who currently enjoy listening to music at work, 36 per cent say it improves the working environment, a third (32 per cent) say it improves morale, while a quarter (26 per cent) say it reduces stress and workplace disagreements.
More than seven in 10 (72 per cent) people surveyed want to ‘whistle while they work’ and listen to their favourite bands at their desks and nearly one in five (18 per cent) claimed it would make them more productive. Currently, just over half of UK workplaces (52 per cent) allow their employees to listen to music once they’ve clocked-in.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind said:
The therapeutic benefits of listening to music are well-known. A song which makes you feel good can be incredibly soothing and help to reduce anxiety. If you’re worried about your working day ahead then listening to your favourite songs on your commute can be a great way to relax and refocus.
Paul Farmer continued:
When you’re tackling a heavy workload, music can be a great motivator and boost productivity. It helps to eliminate distractions around you such as noisy colleagues, machinery or phones so that you can focus on the task in hand. While listening to music may not fit in with the culture of every workplace, we urge employers to be flexible in their outlook and create dialogue with their staff about their preferences.
Mind’s Taking care of business campaign aims to improve working environments and working lives.
Mind is launching a Twitter campaign #MindMusicMonday encouraging people to submit their top stress-busting songs.
Mind’s top tips for employers to improve the working environment for their staff:
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