Stop Feeling Depressed at Work! Try This Quick Get-Happy Office Trick

by Lexi Petronis, Glamour
If you're depressed in your job, there's nothing like a Monday morning to make you remember why you were so glad it was Friday three days ago. Maybe the answer to happiness lies in your iTunes? Listening to music helps release dopamine in the reward area of the brain-the same thing that happens when you eat something delicious, says Dr. Amit Sood, a physician of integrative medicine with the Mayo Clinic.

See more: 10 Things Girls Always Do in Movies and Never Do in Real Life

"We all know that a wandering mind is an unhappy one. Most of that time, we are focusing on the imperfections of life," Sood says, and music can help focus us back on the present. Some research shows that music may increase a worker's effectiveness--in a study of technology specialists, those who were moderately skilled (i.e., not brand-new employees or people who are experts) listened to music completed their tasks more quickly and came up with better ideas than those who didn'. Researchers say this is because the music improved their mood.

See more: 35 Truths About Marriage (According to Guys)

Sood says it takes just 15 to 30 minutes of listening to regain concentration (he says tunes without lyrics usually work best). This is good news, because even when companies don't have official music-listening policies, some managers and coworkers equate headphones with disengagement and lack of productivity--and you don't want to be that person. If it only takes a few minutes to sneak in a quick listening session (all the better if it's management-approved) and possibly get a happy, creative, productive boost, well... it's worth a try, right?

Does your job have an atmosphere where listening to music is OK? Do you ever listen to music at work? Does it help make you happier or more focused?

More from Glamour:
30 Sex Tips Every Woman Should Consider
10 Things He's Thinking When You're Naked
What Your Swimsuit Says About You (According to Guys)
50 Things Men Are Afraid to Ask For (But Really Want)