Why Music Is So Healthy For Your Mind

How often do you listen to music? What’s your favorite song? Which band or singer do you like the most? I dare say everyone has had to answer these questions at some point in their life. Music is, without a doubt, a significant part of our everyday life. Whether you’re a passionate musician or someone who occasionally listens to the radio, music can have a great positive influence on your mind and body.

Reduce stress

According to Kenda Cherry, music can actually help to reduce stress. A scientific study divided participants into three groups, who all listened to different sounds: the first group listened to relaxing meditation music; the second group listened to the sounds of rippling water; and the third group didn’t have any audio stimulation. Afterwards, all of the participants experienced a stressful situation. It turned out that the people who listened to meditative music coped with stress much better and recovered faster than the other two groups. Personally, I really like to listen to music before hard exams, or any other stressful situation I know I will have to face. The music doesn’t even have to be exactly relaxing, either - any songs I love can ease my mind.

Boost your mood

Studies show that when you need to cheer up, listening to music can help! As you can read in Suzanne Boothby’s article, people who regularly listened to upbeat songs for two weeks significantly improved their mood and had increased happiness levels. What about the sad songs, though? In some cases, even slow, sad music positively affects our mood (but other studies show it can make you feel low - so be careful!).

Improve your memory

Did you know that listening to the music can improve your memory, and studying can become more effective? Rebecca Jay Stanborough’s article shows many examples of scientific studies which prove this fact. Just keep in mind that the music you listen to while you’re learning should be instrumental - it’s better to listen to something like classical, instrumental music, rather than Jay-Z or The Wu-Tang Clan.

Music in therapy

Thanks to the great influence that music can have, therapists often use it in their praxis. Adrienne Santos-Longhurst’s article confirms that music therapy can be used with people who feel anxious or have depression and even people who have autism spectrum disorder. Patients can also play various musical instruments and relax during this therapy.

We hope you find this article useful, and that you will enjoy listening to music even more, now you are aware of the benefits it can bring. Check out the articles mentioned above to learn more about this topic.