Music isn’t just soothing to the ears; it has several health benefits as well. Though the benefits of music are not yet fully understood, it has been scientifically proven that music influences human minds. From scientific researches, it has been confirmed that music can improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure. It has a healing effect and can reduce pain. Music is also believed to raise our IQ levels!
Neuromusicology is a new branch of scientific study to understand how our nervous system reacts to music.
Benefits of Music
Makes You Feel Happy
“Music is an agreeable harmony for the honour of God and the permissible delights of the soul.” – J.S. Bach
Music helps raise positive emotions and create a happy feeling in our mind. Neurological studies show that our brain can interpret and react emotionally to musical tunes.
It was observed in one study that five months old babies could distinguish between happy and gloomy tunes. The babies were found to react differently to those tunes. [Source: Live Science ]
Recent scientific studies have shown that when we hear good music, our brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which creates a sense of exhilaration. As a result, we feel happy, and our mood lifts. Humming a song can instantly make you happy.
Lowers Stress & Improves Health
Music has a soothing effect that can decrease the levels of stress hormones, Cortisol and Epinephrine.
Each one of us has different musical preferences. So, it’s best to choose for yourself what type of music calms your mind. It has been found that Indian stringed instruments, flutes and classical music could relax the mind even when played in a moderately high volume. Natural sounds of rain or thunder when mixed with soothing music can relax your mind in a few minutes!
Singing also helps to release tension, and you don’t even have to be a good singer for that! While singing, you release your stress. As a result, your immunity power will increase, and your overall health would improve.
Helps To Sleep Better
As music lowers down stress levels, naturally it will help you to sleep better. You can listen to music before your sleep, or you can relax with music on.
Music has a direct influence on the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps our body to relax and sleep better. The music slows down the heart rate and breathing. It helps to relax our muscles, causing a deep sleep. Include music into your bedtime routine. Slow tunes are ideal for the improvement of sleep. Listen to soothing, quiet music every night before going to sleep.
Reduces Depression
“Music should be something that makes you gotta move, inside or outside.” – Elvis Presley
Recent scientific studies revealed that music could improve our mental health.
Modern music therapy can be tracked around the 1940s. Thousands of American soldiers after World War II were suffering from post-war stress and mental illnesses. During this time, musicians were hired by the American hospitals to heal those traumatised soldiers along with the usual medical treatment.
Nowadays, music therapy is applied to clinically depressed patients. It has been observed that mentally depressed patients show a significant improvement in their mood from this type of therapy.
Helps You Eat Less
Now music can’t replace physical exercise in staying fit and slim. But did you know that soft, low tune music can stop you from over-eating?
That way, obviously music can prevent you from gaining those extra kilos! Low music in a low volume creates a relaxed ambience that will increase your meal satisfaction. As a result, you will consume less. It has been observed that people tend to eat less while listening to soft, soothing music.
Improves Learning & Memory
Research shows that learning to play a musical instrument can increase the volume of grey matter in the brain.
Brain scans of musicians showed that their brains are quite different from the others. Their brains were found to be bigger and well developed. [ Source: Independent, UK ]
Music training helps improve memory capacities even outside the field of music. It has been researched and found that musicians have superior memory and auditory skills.
Chris Boyd Brewer, musician, author and teacher has been training and guiding teachers and trainers on the use of music for over 30 years. In his book, Music and Learning, Chris has explained that music improves learning experiences. He also says that music can cause highly focused learning so that the lessons would be absorbed quickly and effectively. He suggests putting information in “rhythm and rhyme” so that the musical elements would provide a hook for recollection.
As young children, we were also taught by the rhythm and rhyme method. But as we grow up, we forget to use this technique. The alphabets, numbers, names of things etc. we learned as a baby through rhymes and songs are still imprinted in our brains!
Relaxes Sick People
Music can reduce pain from surgeries, help in the healing process and improve a patient’s overall health.
According to Harvard Health Publishing of the Harvard Medical School, “Music therapy can calm anxiety, ease pain and provide a pleasant diversion during chemotherapy or a hospital stay.”
CONCLUSION:
Music is excellent for your health. Incorporate music into your life. Psychologists say that a happy mindset can change your life! Music can bring to you loads of happiness that would enhance your experience. Music will make you happier, healthier and more productive. Listening to music is good, singing or playing a musical instrument is even better.
You can change your life with a little help from music!