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Music as a Life Coaching Tool: How to Use Music to Increase Motivation, Improve Focus, and Decrease Anxiety
- Dennis Guyvan, Life Coach
- Mar 17
- 10 min read
Updated: Mar 18
Music has a way of moving us—literally and figuratively. We’ve all had moments when the right song shifts our mood, boosts our energy, or helps us push through a challenging task. But did you know that music isn’t just a mood booster? It’s a powerful tool for achievement, motivation, and focus. Research shows that music can help people get into the zone, overcome performance anxiety, and increase productivity.
As a life coach, I help clients in Denver (and beyond) tackle mental blocks, find clarity, and boost performance. And one powerful tool I use in my coaching is music. In this blog, I'll share how you can harness music to increase motivation, improve focus, and reduce anxiety—whether you’re at work, studying, or navigating everyday stress.
1. The Science of Music on Breathing, Heart Rate, and HRV:
You might not realize it, but music actually has a profound effect on your body. It doesn’t just set the mood—it impacts your physical state as well. Here’s how:
Breathing Patterns:
When you listen to music, especially with a rhythmic beat, your body naturally syncs your breathing to the music. For example, faster-paced music can speed up your breath, while slower, more calming music can help slow your breath down. This is linked to what’s known as the “entrainment” effect, where your body syncs its internal rhythms (like heartbeat and breathing) with external rhythms (like music) (Huberman, 2023).
This sync can trigger a relaxation response, lowering stress levels, helping you feel more grounded and focused.
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability (HRV):
Research shows that music influences your heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). HRV, which refers to the variation in time between heartbeats, is a good indicator of your body’s ability to manage stress. Higher HRV is associated with better emotional regulation and resilience (Hughes, 2018).
Fast-paced music with beats around 140-150 bpm tends to increase heart rate, which can be great for motivation. Conversely, slower music can help calm the body, lower heart rate, and improve HRV, making it easier to manage stress.
As a Life Coach, I help my clients use music to enhance their emotional state. If you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed, try listening to soothing music before a big task. It might just be the key to unlocking a calm and focused mindset.
2. Using Music to Boost Motivation:
Have you ever struggled to get started on a project, even though you know it’s important? Motivation can feel like an elusive thing, especially when you’re dealing with overwhelm or distractions. This is where music can be a game-changer.
Music to Boost Productivity:
According to research shared by Huberman (2023), listening to music with a tempo of 140-150 bpm during rest time, between periods of focused work, can significantly increase motivation and productivity. That’s right, a brief musical interlude can give your brain a quick reset, helping you feel energized and ready to dive back into your tasks with renewed focus.
The upbeat rhythm stimulates dopamine, the “motivation” neurotransmitter, which enhances your drive and productivity (Huberman, 2023).
Why It Works:
After a period of intense focus, our brains need to reset. Music can offer a pleasant break that restores mental energy without distracting from the flow state.
So, next time you find yourself procrastinating or stuck in a loop of distractions, try taking a short 9-minute music break. Choose something with a high tempo (around 140-150 bpm), and notice how it shifts your energy.
This is a simple, yet powerful tool I suggest for my Life Coaching clients in Denver. Whether you're working from home or tackling personal goals, using music as a productivity booster could be just what you need to break through.
3. The Role of Music in Enhancing Focus:
Now that we’ve talked about how music can get you pumped up and motivated, let’s dive into how it can help you stay focused. Have you ever struggled to concentrate, especially when you have a mountain of tasks ahead of you? If so, you’re not alone. Many of my clients in Denver have shared how distractions (like noise, social media, or just their wandering thoughts) get in the way of their focus. But, music can help!
Best Music for Focus:
Research has shown that the best music for enhancing focus during mental work tends to be white noise, 40 Hz binaural beats, or silence (Huberman, 2023). These sounds help create a steady auditory environment, making it easier for your brain to filter out distractions and enter a deep state of concentration.
White noise creates a constant sound (think of the hum of a fan or air conditioner) that helps mask other environmental distractions.
Binaural beats (like 40 Hz) are two slightly different frequencies played in each ear, which can help synchronize brainwave activity, improving cognitive focus and clarity.
Why It Works:
Both white noise and binaural beats can help your brain enter a state of "flow," the mental state where you’re fully immersed in the task at hand, working at your highest potential.
This type of music can help you maintain a state of concentration for longer periods, which is crucial when you’re tackling complex tasks or projects.
In the realm of Life Coaching, I’ve seen clients benefit from incorporating these soundscapes into their routines, especially for those who have trouble getting into a productive groove during work or study sessions.
Practical Tips for Focused Work:
Experiment with white noise or binaural beats if you find it hard to concentrate. You can find playlists on YouTube or streaming services like Spotify. Start with 20-minute sessions and gradually increase the time as you get comfortable.
For clients in Denver or online, you can even use these techniques during our sessions together, either as background noise or in specific moments of focus work.
The idea is that with the right type of auditory environment, you can make focusing easier, more enjoyable, and sustainable. So, try it out during your next big task—whether at work, school, or in your personal growth journey—and see how much it shifts your ability to concentrate.
4. Addressing Unprocessed Feelings Underlying Procrastination:
I’ve noticed that procrastination often isn’t just about a lack of motivation or discipline. It’s sometimes a symptom of deeper, unprocessed feelings. Maybe you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even sad when you think about starting a particular project. But what’s underneath that procrastination? What’s the emotional block that’s keeping you from moving forward?
Procrastination and Emotional Resistance:
Many times, procrastination is a way for our minds to avoid uncomfortable feelings—whether that’s anxiety, fear of failure, or even unprocessed sadness.
Music, as we’ve already discussed, can be a powerful tool to process emotions. If you're feeling stuck, using music to unlock and understand these hidden feelings can be a game-changer.
For example, when a client shares that they’ve been procrastinating on a big project, I often suggest they explore what emotions might be coming up. Are there feelings of sadness or fear that are making them avoid the task? Music can help them gently access and process those emotions, which can make it easier to move forward.
How Music Helps Process Emotions:
Sadness and anxiety are common emotional undercurrents in procrastination. Music can be an effective way to help us process these emotions, especially when we’re having difficulty articulating them or fully understanding them on our own.
Here’s the interesting part: research suggests that music not only brings these emotions to the surface but also helps us process them more effectively. The process of listening to music that resonates with the emotion you’re experiencing can be therapeutic in itself, allowing your body to “release” emotional tension and shift your state.
Practical Tips for Using Music to Process Emotions:
Sad Music for Emotional Relief:
As you work through procrastination or emotional blockages, try listening to music that reflects the emotion you’re feeling. For example, if you're feeling down, sad music can provide a safe space to experience and release those feelings.
According to research shared by Huberman (2023), listening to 13 minutes of sad music can help process and release sadness, leading to emotional relief and clarity.
If you’re struggling with procrastination, I encourage my clients to explore what feelings might be at the root of it. Then, use music to help process those feelings before diving back into the task.
In Life Coaching, I often integrate emotional exploration with music, encouraging clients to look deeper into what might be preventing them from moving forward. By using music as a tool to process emotions, clients can create emotional breakthroughs, which ultimately helps them take meaningful action toward their goals.
5. Using Music to Process Sadness: A Tool for Emotional Healing
One of the biggest challenges many of us face is processing difficult emotions—especially sadness or grief. Whether it’s related to personal struggles, unfulfilled goals, or simply the weight of everyday life, unresolved sadness can contribute to procrastination and a lack of motivation. But did you know that music can actually help you work through these feelings?
The Power of Sad Music:
It might sound counterintuitive, but listening to sad music can be incredibly therapeutic. Andrew Huberman highlights that listening to 13 minutes of sad music can help you process sadness in a healthy way, leading to emotional relief.
When you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed by emotion, music that mirrors your mood can provide an outlet for those feelings. It creates a safe space for you to experience your emotions without judgment.
How It Works:
Music taps into the emotional part of your brain, which can help you process and release emotions that might be stuck in your body or mind.
The act of listening to music that resonates with your current emotional state allows you to feel the sadness fully, which paradoxically helps you move through it more quickly.
In Life Coaching, I encourage clients in Denver to explore what emotions are hiding under their procrastination or anxiety. Once you identify the root cause, you can use music to help navigate through the discomfort. The result? You not only make progress in your tasks but also create a sense of emotional freedom.
Practical Tip:
Next time you’re feeling down or emotionally blocked, dedicate 13 minutes to listening to music that reflects your sadness. You might be surprised by how much emotional clarity you gain afterward. You may even find the motivation to take the next step toward your goal, once the emotional weight has been released.
6. Reducing Performance Anxiety with Music
Another common barrier to achieving our goals is performance anxiety. Whether you’re preparing for a presentation, a big meeting, or an important task, those nerves can often hold you back. But did you know that music could be a more effective tool for anxiety reduction than medication?
Music vs. Benzodiazepines:
Research reveals that the song "Weightless " by Marconi Union has been shown to reduce anxiety levels by 65%—which is a more significant reduction than what you’d typically expect from a dose of benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medication).
The music was specifically designed to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety, making it a highly effective tool for those who experience performance anxiety.
Why It Works:
The song "Weightless" has a specific tempo and harmonic structure that induces deep relaxation. It helps slow down your heart rate, lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and improve heart rate variability (HRV), which can ease the physical symptoms of anxiety (Huberman, 2023).
When you’re facing performance anxiety, the tension in your body can prevent you from performing at your best. By using music like “Weightless ,” you’re giving your body the chance to reset and calm down, ultimately improving your ability to perform under pressure.
Practical Tip:
If you find yourself getting anxious before an important task, try listening to "Weightless" or another calming playlist designed for relaxation. Spend at least 10-15 minutes with the music before the event to help lower your anxiety and regain your confidence.
Using music to reduce performance anxiety is an invaluable tool in both personal and professional settings. As a Life Coach, I’ve worked with clients in Denver who have used this technique before high-stakes moments—and the results speak for themselves. They not only feel more confident but also perform better.
Conclusion: Music as a Tool for Transformation
Music isn’t just something that fills the background of our lives—it’s a powerful tool that can enhance motivation, improve focus, help us process difficult emotions, and reduce anxiety. Whether you’re working toward a big goal, navigating life’s challenges, or simply trying to overcome procrastination, music has the ability to shift your emotional state and transform your mindset.
Here’s a quick recap of how you can use music to boost your performance and well-being:
Use upbeat music (140-150 bpm) to increase motivation and productivity.
Use white noise or binaural beats to enhance focus and cognitive performance.
Listen to sad music for 13 minutes to help process and release sadness, reducing emotional blocks.
Use "Weightless " by Marconi Union or similar music to reduce anxiety and improve performance.
Incorporating these musical tools into your daily routine could be a game-changer, helping you to unlock greater levels of success, focus, and emotional balance. As a Life Coach in Denver, I’ve seen firsthand how these techniques can help clients achieve their goals with greater ease and clarity. So, why not give it a try? Put the music on and see how it can help you move through your challenges with confidence and calm. Remember, music is not just an art form—it’s a tool that you can use to shape your life in profound ways.
References
Huberman, A. (2023). How to Use Music to Boost Motivation, Mood, and Improve Learning [Podcast]. Huberman Lab.
Koelsch, S., Vuust, P., & Friston, K. (2019). Predictive processes and the peculiar case of music. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(1), 63-77.
Leeds, J. (2017). The Power of Sound: How to Be Healthy and Productive Using Music and Sound. Healing Arts Press.
Reedijk, S. A., Bolders, A., & Hommel, B. (2013). The impact of binaural beats on creativity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 786.
Vuoskoski, J. K., & Eerola, T. (2012). Can sad music really make you sad? Indirect measures of affective states induced by music. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 6(3), 204.
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Dennis Guyvan, a life coach. He provides individual life coaching sessions in Denver and Chicago, and worldwide via video and phone calls. Schedule your free 30-minute coaching consultation with Dennis Guyvan.
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