What Makes Music Motivational?
Music is a tremendous force that can drive us to do and accomplish amazing things. In fact, music is such a driving force in helping push us that it is banned in some sports competitions. You see the impacts of music all the time, people using it when or using it during their workouts, so we know that the power is there, but what is it about songs that actually motivates us?
Music interacts with the body’s sympatric nervous system, preparing the body for action. The airways open and the heart beats faster, providing oxygen throughout the body. Additional blood to the brain means that you’ll be able to think clearer and your muscles are primed to carry out physical activities.
Even dull tasks that run the risk of lulling you to sleep suddenly become less mundane with the presence of music. Songs can energize our body and because it has such sway over our emotions it can even impact how we feel while carrying out a task, which can make performing said task easier (even if we were dreading it). This works because you are shifting your focus from the task to the music which can increase positive feelings, reduce anxiety, and combat signals in the brain that can de-motivate you and lead to boredom or fatigue.
Stephen Chbosky gave a very profound account of the power of music in his quote “And I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people got through a lot of bad times because of those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean. I think it would be great to have written one of those songs. I bet if I wrote one of them, I would be very proud. I hope the people who wrote those songs are happy. I hope they feel it’s enough. I really do because they’ve made me happy. And I’m only one person.”