Do you ever listen to certain types of music to get charged up? If yes, you’re not alone. Many athletes have reported listening to energetic music before a big race or game to get motivated.
Music’s ability to get us hyped is truly remarkable. However, this also begs the question, “Can music demotivate you?”. In this guide we will delve into this subject and look at different ways in which music could demotivate us.
How Music Influences the Way We Feel
Music has an amazing ability to make us feel a certain way. A steady beat with heavy bass might prompt us to move our bodies and dance. Similarly, slow ambient music causes us to feel calm and relaxed. Studies have found that music actually influences our breathing and heart rate, so the feeling it evokes is actually a biological reaction.
What is Demotivational Music?
There really is no such thing as “demotivational music”. So you won’t find a list of songs or music genres that fit this label. However, it could be argued that certain kinds of music might influence our emotions and bodies in a way that causes us to feel demotivated.
As described above, listening to ambient music causes our heart rate and breathing to slow down, which makes us feel calm. So if you’re sitting down and listening to this ambient music, you might find it harder to muster the willpower to stand up and move around. So in a way, this music has demotivated you.
You can also feel demotivated based on the lyrical content of the music you are listening to. After all, lyrics are just poetry that is set to music. A particularly sad poem can make you feel gloomy and hopeless, so it’s safe to say music with sad lyrics could evoke a similar response.
Should You Listen to Demotivational Music?
You might be wondering if you should really listen to demotivational music as described above. There is no simple answer to this as it really depends on your situation. If you need to get hyped up for physical activity, you probably don’t want to listen to calming music as this would have the opposite effect from what you desire.
Similarly, if you are feeling particularly sad or hopeless, listening to music with similar themes might actually cause you to feel worse and even more demotivated. In this situation it is probably better for you to avoid listening to such music.
Finding Value in Demotivational Music
All music has inherent value. This includes demotivational music. Such music might not be appropriate for certain situations, but you might still enjoy listening to it when you are in the right mood or setting. So think about the type of music you listen to and how it influences your body and emotions. You might be surprised by just how much of your mood and demeanor is controlled by music.
Eric Dalius is The Executive Chairman of MuzicSwipe, a music and content discovery platform designed to maximize artist discovery and optimize fan relationships. Beyond his work at MuzicSwipe, he hosts the insightful weekly podcast “FULLSPEED,” engaging with entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds. Eric also contributes to education through the “Eric Dalius Foundation,” offering four scholarships for US students. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Entrepreneur.com.