Better mood, less stress, and pain relief. Find out these and other health benefits of music!
Music wields a powerful influence on human beings. It can boost your memory, reduce anxiety and depression, build task endurance, increase your productivity, and decrease your fatigue, ease your pain, and improve your mood. If you like to listen to music, you now have even more reasons to turn on the sound. Check out eight health benefits of listening to music!
Better mood
When you listen to music you like, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for the sensation of pleasure and well-being. This increased production of dopamine helps to alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression. One of the most common uses of music is to help regulate emotions. According to research by the Heriot-Watt University (UK), people music has the power to change and help people process their feelings. So if you need extra cheer, how about listening to some of your favorite songs for 15 minutes?
Better sleep
If you have trouble sleeping, try listening to relaxing music before going to bed. Listening to relaxing classical music can be a safe, effective, and affordable remedy to improve sleep quality. A study conducted by Semmelweis University (Hungary) found that participants who had listened to music had significantly better sleep quality than those who had listened to the audiobook or received no intervention.
Decreased depression
When you’re feeling depressed, music can help you. A University Clinic Regensburg study showed that music can benefit patients with depressive symptoms. The study also suggests that the type of music also affects the results, with meditative sounds and classical music being the most effective. A 2019 study by McGill University (Canada) found that listening to music increases the amount of dopamine produced in the brain – a mood-enhancing chemical, making it a feasible treatment for depression. So, next time you feel a little down, how about listening to classical music to lift your spirits?
Improved intellectual performance
Some people believe that listening to music while performing a task – especially if it’s a difficult task that requires concentration – can be distracting and ultimately impair performance. But not quite. The truth is that when we listen to music, certain areas of our brain are activated, which increases our concentration and improves both learning and assimilation of information. Many researchers recommend that you listen to music to stimulate your brain. McGill University (Canada) study showed that people were more motivated to learn when they expected to listen to a song as their reward. Thus, music can help to increase intellectual performance, in addition to making any task more pleasant.
Memory enhancement
Music helps the brain to develop in many areas – especially memory. Music memory is one of the brain functions most resistant to dementia. A study by the University of Pavia (Italy) showed that music has been found to slow cognitive decline, helping people with mild or moderate dementia remember episodes from their lives. Just listening to music helps, but that ability increases dramatically when you learn to play an instrument. Also, when you know to play an instrument, you activate areas of the brain that make you more agile and improve your learning.
Pain management
Music can also help relieve pain. A metanalysis conducted by the Ewha Womans University (Korea) of over 90 studies reported that music allows people to manage acute and chronic pain better than medication alone. A study led by Brunel University (UK) suggested that music may reduce pain and anxiety for patients who have undergone surgery. By analyzing 72 randomized controlled trials involving more than 7,000 patients who received surgery, researchers found those who played music after their procedure reported feeling less pain and anxiety than those who did not listen to music. They were also less likely to need pain medication.
Reduced stress
When feeling stressed, you may find listening to your favorite music makes you feel better – and numerous studies support this effect. According to some researchers, music may help alleviate stress by lowering the body’s cortisol levels – the hormone released in response to stress. Another mechanism by which music may relieve stress is its effect on brainstem-mediated measures, such as pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature; again, the outcome depends on the type of music listened to.
