Silence vs sound: does music really affect your mood?

There’s this meme: “The navigator says it’s a 20-minute walk, but give me a good playlist and I’ll be there in 10.” I won’t say that it was the inspiration for the material, but I won’t deny that music shortens every path and gets the job done faster. And this is a scientifically proven fact. For example, scientists at the University of Windsor in Canada conducted an experiment in which they asked IT professionals to either work silently or simultaneously record their emotions while listening to their favorite music for five weeks. It turns out that when working quietly, specialists are often in a bad mood and do not have time to finish all their work, but with music the opposite is true.

So why does music have such an effect on our brain? How do some compositions help you cope with stress, while others make you cry? It’s not a matter of associations with the piece; We are influenced by both familiar compositions and those heard for the first time. It turned out that when listening to music, almost all areas of the brain are activated: from the auditory area to the areas responsible for movement, memory and emotions. Pythagoras’ words that music can restore harmony to the mind, soul and body have now been confirmed by science.

But today let’s do our own experiment. And no, your editor is unfortunately (or fortunately) not John Cusack from “Say Anything” and won’t be walking around with a boombox. A new product from HUAWEI came to our aid – FreeBuds Pro 4 headphones.

As someone who has worn headphones from birth, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate experiment. I’ve always had trouble concentrating, so music helps me focus on my work tasks rather than outside noise and often becomes a source of inspiration. Looking ahead, I will say that without it my productivity fell below average, and I do not advise anyone who dreams of becoming a journalist to watch me silently put words into sentences for eight hours. I’d rather tell you about my acquaintance with new headphones.

When I first looked at them I liked the size; It was quite small and comfortable. For comparison: I now have headphones that could easily be confused with the headphones pilots wear on the plane – they are huge, so the contrast was obvious. At some point, doubts arose as to whether they could handle the intensity of the noise and fully connect me with the outside world. I hasten to report that they not only coped, but exceeded expectations. I’ve heard nothing but a study list for concentration. But if you are one of those who are afraid of noise reduction (yes, there are such people), you can play with the settings in the HUAWEI AI Life application and partially or completely disable it. Also specify which HUAWEI SOUND to focus on during playback based on your music preferences. I chose the universal profile partly as part of an experiment, but mostly because my playlist includes music from Mozart and Big Baby Tape, Abba, K-Pop, and even musicals.

If you have ever been to the gym, you can be sure that it is better not to come there without headphones. Relatively recently I started going to training regularly and have already developed my own playlist that makes lifting weights and running easier. But I came there without headphones for the sake of an experiment. And… it was awful. The unusual music in the hall, as well as human voices and the creaking of iron, really bothered me. At the end of the workout, I thought I heard a light bulb go off. I don’t recommend it to anyone.

FreeBuds Pro 4 was much more fun. Besides noise canceling, I want to point out one more useful thing: they do not fall out of the ears. The set includes several silicone tips of different sizes. And not simple ones, but three-layer ones, creating an additional noise canceling effect, as they fit tightly and ergonomically follow the shape of the ear. So you don’t have to worry, maximum comfort is guaranteed.

Despite the crazy pace of life, everyone needs a break. Last year, I came to the conclusion that watching Reels and endlessly scrolling through social media feeds wasn’t a respite at all, so I started walking more often. In moments like these, music plays a big role. Therefore, I open the same playlist with the selected tracks and go wherever my eyes take me; I reflect, watch people, look at store windows and come up with ideas to save the world. At such moments, it is important for me to be completely alone so that no one distracts me, and if someone calls, I want to answer without taking my hands out of my pocket. So with FreeBuds Pro 4, you just nod to accept or reject a call. It’s an incredibly useful feature, especially when the outside temperature is below freezing.

In short, with them I feel safe and comfortable in almost any situation, and my walks and workouts have become not only more fun, but also much longer.

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