Maybe you listen to music while doing yardwork. Maybe you enjoy some tunes on your commute home from work. Or maybe you like to catch a concert on the weekend. Most of us enjoy listening to music in some form or another, but I would wager that many of us don’t realize just how much music improves our lives.
Making music is a universal human trait that goes back to at least 35,000 years ago. It has always been an important cultural factor throughout human history. From forming tribal bonds, to religious ceremonies to lullabies and love songs, music has stood the test of time. But how, exactly, does it improve your life?
How music improves your life
Research has shown that listening to music can improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory as well as reduce anxiety, blood pressure and pain.
Music and memory
Music is deeply rooted in our conscious and unconscious brains. And experts still don’t completely understand how our brains can hear and play music. They have found, however, that the brain and music connection can help to improve our memory.
In one study, researchers found that listening to background music helped to improve the brain’s overall processing speed as well as memory. Passively listening to background music activates both hemispheres of the brain, which can maximize learning and aid in memory retention.
It was also found that while music does not reverse memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, it has been found to slow cognitive decline. Since music evokes strong emotions and emotions enhance the memory process, hearing music associated with our past often evokes a strong “feeling of knowing.” This feeling can help those suffering from dementia to retrieve vivid memories by listening to music they heard when they were young. Despite profound memory loss, these individuals often show a remarkable memory for music. Playing music they enjoyed when they were younger can trigger positive memories they might otherwise struggle to recall.
Music and mood
Music can impact us on a deep level and can affect our mood. Research has shown that upbeat, cheery music can aid an individual who is trying to become happier. Participants in one study were able to improve their mood after they were asked to listen to positive music while trying to feel happier versus those in the group who only listened to music.
Enjoyable music boosts dopamine in the brain, a hormone released during pleasurable activities, which helps to put people in a happy and confident mood. It also affects the neurotransmitters in your brain responsible for mental alertness.
Music and sleep
The Sleep Foundation has conducted numerous studies on the effects of music and sleep. In one study, a group of adults who listened to 45 minutes of music before going to sleep reported better sleep quality on the very first night. Other studies have shown that using music as part of an evening bedtime routine can decrease the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. In addition, it has been proven to be effective in producing a better quality of sleep, which equates to more consistent rest and less waking up during the night.
Music as medicine
Our bodies are hard-wired to react to stress in ways that are meant to protect us from threats such as attacks by predators. When we encounter an aggressive or threatening situation, our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol. This is a natural response to stress by our bodies that is meant to keep us safe by providing hormones that would help us to fight off an attack.
In today’s world, however, it’s not likely that we will be chased by an angry lion, but that doesn’t mean that we are without stress. The everyday demands of life at work and at home “stress us out” and keep us in a constant state of anxiety. When this happens, those hormones can stay elevated, which puts us at an increased risk for health problems.
The good news, however, is that music can help to alleviate this problem. Research shows that cortisol production decreases when you listen to music. It also helps to boost the feel-good chemicals in your brain, such as dopamine. In this way, music can calm your nervous system.
Studies have also shown that when we listen to a song that makes us feel good, it also affects our perception of pain. So, while music can’t completely take the pain away, it can lessen the pain that we feel. Scientists believe that the music interferes with the pain signals before they reach the brain.
Music can also slow down or speed up your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Listening to slow music, 60 to 80 BPM, can help moderate your body’s functioning and lower your heart rate and blood pressure.
The power of music is fascinating; from enhancing our memory and improving our mood to pain relief and better health. It can be used for relaxation and entertainment or in an intentional way for general wellness. No matter the reason you listen to music, it is rewarding on many levels.
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Photo courtesy Pixabay/RyanMcGuire
Barbara Bauer is a Georgia-based blogger obsessed with inspiring others in the pursuit of self-development. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, drinking way too much coffee, and speaking with a British accent whenever possible.
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