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Can a nightingale’s song help you pass an exam or a blackbird’s twittering encourage you to open a bank account? Sound experts are using it to do both.

They argue the positive results speak for themselves even though researchers say there is little hard scientific evidence to show people respond positively to birds singing. Most support for the theory is anecdotal.

So what are the innovative ways it is being used?

Homework

“People find birdsong relaxing and reassuring because over thousands of years they have learnt when the birds sing they are safe, it’s when birds stop singing that people need to worry. Birdsong is also nature’s alarm clock, with the dawn chorus signalling the start of the day, so it stimulates us cognitively.” […]

The effect of birdsong on our brains is being researched by Eleanor Ratcliffe. She is carrying out a three-year study looking at how natural sounds can improve mood and attention […]

Post-meal slump

An experiment at a primary school in Liverpool - run by “sonic branding” company Condiment Junkie, Glyndwr University and architects Nightingale Associates - found that playing pupils a soundscape of birdsong and other natural sounds made them more alert and better able to concentrate after their lunch break. […]

A fear of needles

Watson created a shortened version of the dawn chorus called Wild Song at Dawn which patients and staff could also listen to on a personal audio player.

The recording was used to calm young patients as they received injections and other treatments, with positive results. […]

Transport

While few scientific studies have been done on people’s particular response to birdsong, research has established the restorative effects of natural sounds in general when it comes to stress. Studies have included prescribing woodland walks to combat depression and treat heart problems.

But birdsong is also being experimented with in crowded places where noise levels and anxiety can be high, like transport hubs. […]

The National Trust suggests people listen to birdsong for a few minutes a day to combat low moods. Sound expert Julian Treasure agrees.

“It resets the ears, allows us to hear properly. Most of us walk around with our ears switched off because so much noise is unpleasant. Unlike so many other sounds there’s no maximum exposure to birdsong.”

Business

“Architects need to start designing for our ears as well as our eyes,” says Treasure. “Businesses also need to recognise its importance. Good sound is good business.”

When life gets messy, stress can make it hard to concentrate and keep a clear mind. But simply thinking about one’s values can boost that problem-solving ability.

Self-affirmation has been shown in past studies to help reduce stress and narrow performance gaps for people in stressful situations, such as women in engineering and science fields.

“It’s not a Stuart Smalley type of idea like ‘gosh darnit, I really like myself,’” Creswell said.

Instead, self-affirmation means identifying and focusing on each person’s most important values, whether they are family, friends, money or leisure.

It also seems to play a role in cognitive performance: Research has shown middle-school students who perform self-affirmations tend to do better academically than those who don’t, Creswell said.

Creswell thinks thinking about what’s important may remind people about the resources they have internally to deal with stressful situations.

The boost in problem-solving appeared whether people prized a belief in God, a sense of humor or wealth.

“It doesn’t even matter what the value is, it’s about finding something that’s personally important to you that can have these effects,” Creswell said.

As my thinking has developed over the years, and after perusing many, many personality tests, I believe that there are four basic working styles: Doing, Leading, Loving, and Learning.

The best teams have a balance of all four styles. And the best organizations have many well-balanced teams who are confident in their working style and understand the necessity of divergent types or work. So, what’s your style?

Doing

Doers execute. They come alive when tasks are complete, lists are checked, or projects are tackled. They typically have intense focus and are detailed in their efforts. […]

Leading

Leaders create the vision and inspire others to believe in it. You can’t help but listen to, admire, and follow the Leaders. Without Leaders, we would be spinning in a hamster wheel with no real vision. […]

Loving

Lovers are relationship-builders. Believing that we’re stronger together, they thrive in harmony and work hard to manage relationships and build consensus. People strong in the Loving working style are sensitive and empathic. They have an unconscious finger on the pulse of every other person on the team. If you want to know how others on your team are really feeling, ask the Lover. […]

Learning

Learners are the researchers. These engineer types love learning and meticulously understanding the nuances of a problem. They are deliberate, disciplined, and tend to think more strategically than most people. […]

So, let’s get over the notion that all work looks one way. It does not. Nor should it. You need many people doing many things to accomplish many goals. Everyone has unique strengths that become super-charged once they’re aligned with other people’s strengths. Rather than critique someone who you believe “isn’t working,” make sure you’re living out your unique contribution in a powerful and sustainable way. Just do what makes you come alive.