The Psychology Behind Why Music Helps You Work Out

We know that music helps a lot of us through a workout, but the the psychology behind when music works and when it doesn't is still being investigated. The BBC Future has a few ideas about what's going on in your brain.

In general, music has the greatest effect on self-paced exercise:

In general, music has the greatest effect on self-paced exercise:

The benefits of music are largest for self-paced exercise - in other words, those sports where some of the work involved is in deciding when to act, as well as how to act. This means all paced exercises, like rowing or running, rather than un-paced exercises like judo or football. My speculation is that music helps us perform by taking over a vital piece of the task of moving, the rhythm travels in through our ears and down our auditory pathways to the supplementary motor area. There it joins forces with brain activity that is signalling when to move, helping us to keep pace by providing an external timing signal. Or to use a sporting metaphor, it not only helps us out of the starting blocks but it helps to keep us going until we reach the line.

It makes sense. After all, music distracts us from fatigue, and at the right BPM music can improve a workout. If you need some help picking out the best exercise headphones, we've got you covered as well.

The psychology of workout music | BBC Future

Why You Should Hold a Mock Interview with a Friend for a Job You Want

We've noted in the past that a little role playing can help you out when preparing for an important job interview, but common thought puts you in the place of the interviewee.

Experienced hiring managers who have interviewed many candidates will often say they don't get nervous at their own job interviews anymore, because they've done so many interviews from the other side and understand how an interviewer's mind works. You can get a bit of this benefit by playing the interviewer yourself. If you have a job-searching friend, suggest that you practice together - taking turns playing the part of the interviewer. You might be surprised by how much more comfortable it makes you both feel.

This makes sense. It puts you in a situation to think about the questions you'd want to know if you had to hire someone for the same job, ultimately preparing you for what to expect. You'll also get to hear your friend look for answers you might not have thought of and expand your library of options when responding to the questions for real. Next time you try a mock interview, don't forget to do the interviewing, too.

How to Develop the Hireable Skills You'll Actually Need After College

Below are the tips:

Solicit Feedback Ruthlessly-

Get feedback from everyone you can. Ask your professors, also your peers, and try extra hard to get feedback from people that are not in university and/or have been out of the system for a while.

Get feedback on everything. On your writing, the way you made your most recent decision, your side projects, your schedule, social situations,etc.

Getting feedback is probably the best way to improve yourself. There are just some things that we can't see in ourselves that other people can point out fast. Prioritize this and you'll be way ahead the rest of your peers.

How do you do this? It's mustering up a small amount of courage and just saying "Hey, can I ask you a question?" And then ask it.

Most people are honored you'd ask them.

Some people might be vague with their feedback, which might not help out all that much. But every once in a while you'll find someone who is brutally honest. These are the people you need more feedback from. Be thankful, put the advice in to practice, and then pay it forward. When someone asks you for advice, be honest.

Solve Problems And Add Value-

Quick summary: Reach out to someone you'd like to work for. Offer to work on a mini project that would be useful to them, for free to start. Then blow them out of the water with your work. Nurture that relationship and develop yourself.

Everyone is struggling with something, and everyone's too busy. Use that to your advantage, offer to help.

Get Some Skills On The Side-

If you take anything away from this piece it's this: while you're at university make something else a big part of your life (Read: actively avoid trying to make your world revolve only around school). You have control over who you become. Develop a skill on the side.