HIGHLIGHTS
- This article features benefits of listening to music in our day to day life.
- This article is based on studies, research papers and articles as of july 2024.
- Listening to music can leave an impact on both physical and mental health which we will discuss further in the article.
From time immemorial music has been an integral part of man’s existence as it is a culture that translates across the country, sex, age and class barriers. Music can make people feel good and has many health benefits as it helps to improve mentality, enhance functions concentrating abilities as Music plays an important role in people’s life.
Benefits Of Hearing Music
From reducing stress, improving concentration, relaxation to improving physical benefits the list of advantages of listening to music goes on. The benefits of hearing music also include a happy mood, feeling happy and proper relaxation after stressful days. We will discuss some key benefits of listening to music in our day to day life with supported research and studies.
Enhancing Mood and Emotional Well-being
Sometimes just listening to our favorite song can help us a lot. Meanwhile if you listen to depressing songs they can make you feel down.
- Studies suggest that listening to music can help in increasing the release of dopamine which is responsible for pleasure and reward.
Reducing Stress and Anxiety
We all experience some anxiety and stress in some part of our life and studies show that Listening To Music can help in Reducing Stress and Anxiety as there is proof that listening that soothing music will go a long way in helping you deal with stress and anxiety.
- Some studies show that when we listen to calm music it helps in reducing cortisol level. Cortisol is responsible for stress and when cortisol levels are reduced it makes us feel relaxed and at peace
Do you know: Music genre matters the most while classical jazz and calming tunes can give positive effects on your brain. And the nostalgic or sad tunes can actually increase the symptoms of depression.
Improving Cognitive Performance
Listening to music can enhance various cognitive functions, which includes memory, attention and problem solving skills. This phenomenon is referred to as the “Mozart Effect”. And background music can also improve focus and productivity making it helpful for students though there were some cases where some students with weak memory claimed background music made things hard for them.
- “Listening to Music can slow cognitive decline” by The Mayo Clinic.
- Music helps Alzheimer patients to recall things associated with that song in their memory.
Boosting Physical Performance
One of the advantages of Listening to Music during exercises is increased performance. Listening to motivational songs can increase your overall performance while doing exercises. And many studies show that athletes who prefer to listen to music during their exercises performed better and were less fatigued compared to those who prefer not to listen to music.
- In 2015, researchers at Shanghai University discovered that relaxing music helped reduce fatigue and sustain muscle endurance during repetitive tasks.
- A 2020 research review suggests that listening to music while doing exercise improves your workout efficiency which often results in longer exercise sessions due to less fatigue.
Enhancing Social Connections
As we discussed earlier, music acts as a universal language and brings people together irrespective of anything. And there are many people who have a similar taste when it comes to music preference thus they create fan clubs, fan meetups and events. And in many cultures people come together and sing to celebrate an event. All these social gatherings around music not only are enjoyable but they leave a positive impact on mental health.
- “Involving into group musical activities like singing and dancing can increase social unity and a feeling of community among participants”. Some studies claimed.
Aiding in Sleep and Relaxation
One in every four Indians suffers from sleeplessness, and some research indicates that music listening may help in increasing the quality and quantity of our sleep.
- According to a study by Lai and Good, older people’ sleep quality was enhanced when they listened to relaxing music.
Therapeutic Benefits
Music therapy has gained recognition as a treatment for various medical conditions. As we talked about earlier, music helps improve brain function, boosts physical performance, and enhances mental well-being. This is why doctors use music therapy to help patients recover and get better.
- Listening to music eases pain.
- Music therapy helps patients recovering from strokes, brain injuries, and other nerve-related conditions regain control of their movements.
Enhancing Creativity
Music has a strong effect on people working in creative areas. Listening to music helps in setting up the mood and creating a proper environment for focusing.
- A study in PLOS ONE discovered that listening to happy music can improve divergent thinking, which is crucial for creativity. And the people who listened to positive music came up with more creative answers than those who worked without any sound.
- Studies show that music lifts mood which makes people more creative.
- Listening to music can help you enter the “flow” state of mind where you get deeply absorbed in work and experience high creativity. By Creativity Research Journal.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about how music affects us in a good way. It highlighted some advantages of listening to music that go beyond simple enjoyment. Studies reveal many benefits of music making it useful to improve our daily lives. Music can lift our mood, lower our stress, boost our thinking, and enhance our physical performance. It serves as a flexible and strong tool to better our overall health.
Music helps us in many ways. It improves our physical performance, brings people together, and has healing effects. It can manage pain and help with sleep and relaxation. The benefits of listening to music are many as it has big positive effects on both mental and physical health and also creates a stronger sense of wellness and connection to others.
So next time you play on your favorite songs just keep these benefits in your mind.
References:
- Harvard Health Publishing – “The Power of Music to Improve Mood and Well-Being”
- American Psychological Association (APA) – “The Psychological Benefits of Music”
- Frontiers in Psychology – “Music as Medicine: The Impact of Music on the Human Stress Response”
- Mayo Clinic – “Music Therapy: A Guide for Your Health”
- Journal of Educational Psychology – “Music and Cognitive Function: The Impact of Music on Cognitive Performance”
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research – “The Influence of Music on Exercise Performance”
- Sports Medicine – “The Effects of Music on Exercise Performance: A Meta-Analysis”
