August is a challenging month for many UK workers, with workplace stress peaking due to factors like colleagues’ annual leave, childcare pressures, and fluctuating office temperatures. Marianne Rizkallah, a music therapist for PPL PRS, a UK music licensing company, suggests an innovative solution to ease these tensions: playing music at 60–70 beats per minute (BPM). She calls this approach “musical air conditioning” for its ability to calm the nervous system.
“When trying to relieve some of the stress in the workplace during August, music at a slower tempo can have a positive mental and physiological effect,” Rizkallah explains. “I like to call this method ‘musical air-conditioning’ because music can have a genuine cooling effect on the nervous system by reducing cortisol.”
Stress triggers physiological responses such as brain fog, sweating, and elevated heart rates, which can hinder wellbeing and productivity. Rizkallah notes, “When you’re in a highly stressed state, your body will respond physiologically and psychologically with brain fog, sweating and increased heart rate, for example – which can impact your wellbeing and productivity during the workday. It has been shown that listening to music at 60-70 BPM can reduce these symptoms and return your body back to a relaxed state as your heart rate ‘syncs’ to the slower tempo.”
Choosing the right music is key. With diverse musical preferences in any office, Rizkallah advises assessing colleagues’ stress levels before selecting a playlist. “Rarely is there one genre that works for everyone when wanting to feel more relaxed,” she says. “Choosing music that people enjoy and engage with is far more effective than trying to force enjoyment of one particular genre.”
Sudden shifts to slow-tempo music can backfire in tense environments. “If the stress and tension in the office is particularly high, a sudden change in music can invade the mood of the room, with the over-stimulation potentially worsening the stressed atmosphere,” Rizkallah warns. “A gradual transition into music with a slower tempo is a better method.” She also recommends involving colleagues in music choices: “Occasionally allowing input from everyone in the office or just getting updated opinion of the music playing is a great way to ensure the positive, stress-reducing effects are being felt across the workspace.”
A PPL PRS survey of British workers supports these findings, revealing that 37% use music to cope with burnout. The survey identified key burnout causes:
- Heavy workload. Cited by 53% of respondents
- Long working hours. Reported by 46%
- Unrealistic expectations. Noted by 34%
- Lack of recognition. Mentioned by 30%
- Unfair pressure from leadership. Highlighted by 29%
Burnout affects both professional and personal lives. Professionally, workers reported frustration (45%), lack of motivation (42%), and feeling undervalued (37%). Personally, 45% experienced anxiety, 45% struggled to relax, and 36% suffered headaches.
This research aligns with broader studies on music’s therapeutic effects. A 2023 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that slow-tempo music can lower cortisol levels and heart rates, promoting relaxation. By syncing with the body’s natural rhythms, music at 60-70 BPM offers a practical, low-cost way to combat workplace stress, particularly during high-pressure periods like August.
