Music has been an integral part of our society for hundreds of thousands of years. From making music with bone pipes 43,000 years ago to the most contemporary pop hits, the importance of music has remained strong. Interestingly, music is not just produced for entertainment; it also has psychological and health benefits.
We have researched various online forums to create a list of psychological and physiological benefits that listening to music gives us.
Improves Your Mood
Music has a strong effect on our emotions. While listening to music almost always improves your mood, different types of music affect you differently. Upbeat and energetic music can trigger the release of dopamine and make us feel a lot lighter almost immediately. Listening to relaxing music in the morning also often helps elevate our mood for the rest of the day.
Improves Quality of Sleep
Music may be the answer if you are struggling to have a good night’s sleep. Soothing music sometimes acts as a natural aid that helps people fall asleep. If you listen to calming music just before going to sleep, it reduces stress hormones and relaxes your mind. As a result, you will have a sound and peaceful sleep. It is also a great alternative to sleeping pills, which more than 8% of adults take on most nights.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Music is considered a stress reliever because it lowers cortisol levels. Songs with a slow tempo are known to lower cortisol levels and improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. If you are going through something hectic, it is good practice to take a break and listen to soothing music for a few minutes. It helps you calm the storm and regroup.
Enhances Cognitive Function
Music is not just for entertainment. It is also a way of strengthening your brain. Various kinds of music can improve memory, attention, and an overall cognitive attention. Listening to music is particularly helpful for students who need to stay mentally sharp while studying or preparing for exams. However, changing the music too often does not help with the attention and focus.
Helps Manage Pain
Music often helps in managing pain. Listening to calming music can distract from pain signals and trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Even during medical procedures, listening to music reduces pain perception and anxiety in patients. Patients often fall asleep during a procedure and, therefore, do not have to go through the pain.
Improves Workout Performance
When you are at the gym working on the gains, music is often an important companion. Energetic and upbeat music is well-known to increase intensity during a workout session. Not only does it increase your endurance, but it improves your workout enjoyment, as well. Thus, you get an added motivation to exercise better, as a result of which, your fitness and overall workout performance improves.
Improves Speech and Communication
Another important effect of music therapy is that it improves speech and communication skills in people suffering from aphasia or autism. For people who have Alzheimer’s Disease, music works like a charm as it lessens their bouts of anxiety and hallucinations and assists them in better communication. Music’s rhythmic and melodic structure usually helps retrain the brain and improve communication function.
Helps Concentrate More
Music plays a crucial role in memory formation and recall. Listening to music does improve learning and memorizing skills in adults, but it also affects children positively. Kids learn the alphabet and various other basic concepts through catchy songs played to them. Children can grasp new concepts more through a musical lens because music helps them focus more when studying.
Leads to a Better Immune System
Music helps reduce stress and regulate our hormones. While we do not know the exact reasoning, we can infer that listening to music improves our immune system. Stress hormones affect our immune systems, and music regulates those hormones from creating a mess. Therefore, listening to music does have a positive effect on our immunity and gives our immune system a boost against foreign bacteria.
Deepens Social Connection
Simply put, if you meet a person with a music taste similar to yours, you will want to interact with them. Sharing music with friends, family, and even strangers helps create and deepen a sense of social connection. However, there is more to it. Music turns on specific regions of the brain, which are responsible for emotions, movement, and quality of life, among other things. All of those put together help you have a better social connection.
Enhances Creativity
If you are looking for a spark of inspiration, listening to music can expedite that process. Music stimulates the part of the brain that is in control of creativity and problem-solving. Be it creating a form of art or using your problem-solving skills, listening to music can definitely give you a push. Depending on the type of music, you can unleash your creative best on your ongoing projects.
Provides Comfort and Coping
During difficult times, music is often a source of comfort. It soothes us and keeps us from feeling too sad. Listening to music helps us identify the emotions we are having at a particular point in time. It also helps us process grief, loss, and other challenges. Music helps us cope with stress and depression. It acts like a friend and leaves a lasting positive effect during times of need.
