Why do we live for live music? On the molecular level, research shows that listening to music improves our mental well-being and physical health. How Music Can Be Used To Influence Different Mood Goals Enjoyment goes far beyond the present moment, as it directly influences the outcome of our hormones and cognitive functioning. While research has suggested thatpeople who play instrumentsare smarter, there are also plenty of benefits for the music enthusiasts. Here is a list of 10 benefits to listening to music: 1. Music Increases Happiness This might seem obvious, but the natural chemical reasoning is pretty incredible to think about. If you are ever in need of an emotional boost, let it be known that it only takes 15 minutes of listening to your favorite tunes to get a natural high. This is because yourbrain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that leads to increased feelings of happiness, excitement, andjoy,when you listen to music you like. 2. Music Improves Performance in Running If thats what youre into Scientistsfound that runners who listened tofast or slow motivational music ran fasterthan runners who listened to calm music (or ran without any music at all) in an 800-meter dash. The key to enhancing your running performance lies in the choice of music, that being something that inspires you to move forward. 3. Music Decreases Stress While Increasing Overall Health Music has a direct effect on our hormones. If you listen to music you enjoy, it decreases levels of the hormonecortisolin your body,counteracting the effects of chronic stress. Stress causes 60% of all illnesses and diseases, so lower levels of stress mean higher chances of overall well-being. One studyeven showed that a group of people playing various percussion instruments and singing had boosted immune systemscompared to the people who were passively listening; while both groups health was positively affected by music, the group playing instruments and/or singing had better results. For maximum benefits on a stressful day, turn on some music and sing along. Dont be shy to break out the air-guitar! 4. Music Improves Sleep Over 30%of Americans suffer from insomnia. A study showed thatlistening to classical or relaxing musicwithin an hour of going to bed significantly improves sleep, compared to listening to anaudiobookor doing nothing before bed. Since we know music can directly influence our hormones, it only makes sense to throw on some Beethoven (or Dark Side of The Moon?) before bed when in need of a good nights sleep. 5. Music Reduces Depression Music has a direct effect on our hormones; it can even be considered a natural antidepressant. This is because certain tunes cause the release of serotonin and dopamine (neurotransmitters) in the brain which leads to increased feelings of happiness and well-being. It also releases norepinephrine, which is a hormone that invokes feelings of euphoria. More than350 millionpeople suffer from depression around the world, and90%of them also experience insomnia. The above research also found that symptoms of depression only decreased in the group that listened to classical or relaxing music before going to bed. Another study demonstrated that certain types of music can be beneficial to patients with depressive symptoms. Interestingly, while classical and relaxing music increased positive moods,technoand heavy metal brought people downeven more. 6. Music Helps You Eat Less According toresearch, the combination of soft lighting and music leads people to consume less food(and enjoy it more). Music as the next trending diet? Sounds easy enough! 7. Music Elevates Your Mood While Driving Who isnt guilty of blastingPhishon the highway? Astudyfound that listening to music positively influences your mood while driving, which obviously leads to safer behavior and less road rage. So be sure to turn up the Reba jams! 8. Music Strengthens Learning And Memory Listening to music can also help you learn and recall information more efficiently, researchers say. Thoughit depends on the degree to which you like the music and whether or not you play an instrument. Astudyshowed that musicians actually learned better with neutral music, but tested better with music that they liked; whereas non-musicians learned better with positive music but tested better with neutral music. Therefore, the degree of performance differentiates between learning and memory for musicians and non-musicians. 9. Music Increases Verbal Intelligence Astudyshowed that 90% of children between the ages of 4 and 6 had significantly increased verbal intelligence after only a month of taking music lessons, where they learned about rhythm, pitch, melody, and voice. The results suggest that the music training had atransfer effectthat increased the childrens ability to comprehend words, and even more, explain their meaning. Anotherstudyshowed similar resultsin musically trained adult women and children that outperformed a group with no music training on verbal memory tests. 10. Music Raises IQ and Academic Performances Researchsuggests that taking music lessonspredetermines high academic performance and IQ scoresin young children. The study surveyed a group of 6-year-oldswho took keyboard or vocal lessons in small groups for 36 weeks. The results showed they had significantly larger increases in IQ and standardized educational test results over that time than children who took other extracurricular activities unrelated to music. The singing group showed the most improvement. In addition to these 10 reasons, there are so many more, including decreases in pain thresholds, the relaxing nature it provides to patients before and after surgery, increasing memory pathways for patients with Alzheimers, the improvement of recovery time for patients who suffered a stroke, the ability to keep your brain healthy in old age, to name a few. Music really does serve as a therapy for all, whether as medicine in a hospital or a heartache on a rainy day. Why We Make More Friends And Feel Less Pain At Concerts Ourscientific understanding of the effects music has on our brains is only starting to take shape; theres still so much more to learn. So remember, If you get confused, just listen to the music play! [H/TLifehack] |
