Psychological Benefits of Listening to Music
Music is something that almost everyone enjoys. Be it a road trip or an occasion like a wedding, everyone loves a good song. It is an excellent source of entertainment and brings positive vibes, lightens the mood and gives a sense of contentment.
But did you know that music has actual psychological benefits? Science shows that music has a strong effect on the brain. It can have an impact on one’s emotions and even influence their thoughts. Music has been known to help with stress and memory and some students like to listen to background music while studying as it improves focus.
Research also suggests that the kind of music liked by an individual can actually provide insights about their personality. A study done on first-year students shows that music can influence the short term self-reported experiences of change in their personality.
With that being said, let’s look at some of the major psychological advantages that music can have on individuals.
Stress Reduction:
Music is a good stress reliever. It helps relax the mind. People often listen to slow, somber music while meditating as it calms one down.
Research shows that music can improve your hormonal balance. When we listen to music that has good memories attached to it, hormones like dopamine and serotonin are released. If, on the other hand, a particular song is played that reminds you of a bad time in your life and makes you uncomfortable, stress hormones like cortisol are released by the body.
Various researches have proven the positive relationship between music and stress relief. Excess stress can lead to disorders like anxiety. One of the studies shows that music can even help with anxiety and depression. Music therapy was used to help the participants cope up with their self-esteem issues and anxiety.
Therefore, listening to the right kind of music can help manage stress and anxiety.
Memory Improvement:
When we listen to a certain song, we are often taken back to memories of either good or bad times. Maybe you listened to this one song too many times on a road trip and whenever you listen to it you are instantly reminded of that time. Why does this happen?
Our brain works in such a way that it creates associations and triggers connections when we listen to music. So, we associate a certain song with a certain memory and are reminded of it every time it is played.
Here, the real question is whether music can help people suffering from memory disorders. Various experiments have been conducted to investigate this. According to a research conducted in the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil has even proven the positive impact of music on patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Moreover, we often see kids listening to music while studying. Some kids, however, say that it distracts their mind. So, does music really help one learn better? The answer is it depends. The type of music and whether or not the student is easily distracted are factors that influence learning.
One study shows that students learning a new language performed better when they sang the new words and phrases in a rhythmic tone instead of just speaking them regularly.
Improves Motivation:
Most of us enjoy to listening to fast paced songs when we work out. Music is a good source of motivation as has been proven by various researches. One of these studies proves that music has an impact on the cognitive and affective attitudes, influencing how we behave and interact with one another. The participants displayed improved performance in both exercise and sports when they listened to music.
Another study shows that when music is selected according to its motivational qualities the impacts on psychological and physical performance both, are even greater. The male and female participants showed increased endurance. The study also states that listening to music while exercising improves bone health.
If you are struggling to keep up with a workout routine, try making a playlist of up-beat songs that boost your morale and motivates you.
Influences Personality Development:
Have you ever just clicked with someone because you have the same taste in music as them? It is no secret that individuals relate to one another through music. Is this purely coincidental or can our music taste reveal something about our personality?
A large scale study published in the American Journal of Psychology (AJP) shows that the genre of music liked by people is related to their personality. It states that people do define themselves with music. However, there are obviously individual differences between them that can influence their music taste.
Another research showed that people are able to make judgements about an individual’s personality traits. Participants were made to listen to 10 favorite songs of another participant and most of them were accurate in judging their personality.
Helps with Insomnia:
Sometimes our thoughts can become too difficult to let go of, and it becomes impossible to clear our head and get some sleep. Insomnia is a problem that can affect people of all ages. There are medications designed to help with the problem, but research shows that listening to soft, soothing music can help relax the mind.
A study performed on students investigated the effects of music on sleep quality of young participants facing sleep related problems. The results showed that listening to slow classical music proved effective in helping the students with poor sleep.
This therapy is pretty simple, safe and affordable. Nurses can use it to help patients with insomnia. Moreover, individuals can incorporate this into their daily lives to improve their sleep patterns. If you are having trouble falling asleep at night, try making a playlist of relaxing classical music and listen to it in bed.
The Takeaway:
Music is more than just a source of entertainment and pleasure. Science has proven that listening to music can have effects on the brain which can prove beneficial. We have seen how music can help reduce stress, improve memory and motivation, and help with insomnia. We have also seen how our music taste can provide insights into our personality traits. Therefore, we should incorporate music into our everyday routine so we can enjoy its psychological benefits as well rather than just listen to it for entertainment.
