Amazing benefits of listening to music (Scientifically Proved)
If you love listening to music, you’re in good company. Music has the ability to take you back in time, spark a dance party or set the mood for a relaxing evening. It also can positively affect your life in a very real way. From a happier mindset to more motivation, there’s a host of wonderful reasons to get lost in a good tune. Below are just a few science-backed benefits of listening to your favorite songs.
1. Music Makes You Happier
Research proves that when you listen to music you like, your brain releases dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter that leads to increased feelings of happiness, excitement, and joy, when you listen to music you like.
2. Music Enhances Running Performance
Scientists found that runners who listened to fast or slow motivational music ran faster than 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 Lowers Stress and Improves Health
Music has a direct effect on our hormones. If you listen to music you enjoy, it decreases levels of the hormone cortisol in 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 study even showed that a group of people playing various percussion instruments and singing had boosted immune systems compared 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. Don’t be shy to break out the air-guitar!
4. Music Helps You Sleep Better
Over 30% of Americans suffer from insomnia. A study showed that students who listened to relaxing classical musicfor 45 minutes before turning in slept significantly better than students who listened to an audiobook or did nothing different from their normal routine. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try listening to a little Bach or Mozart before bedtime to catch some Zs.
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 that lead to increased feelings of happiness and well-being. It also releases norepinephrine, which is a hormone that invokes feelings of euphoria.
More than 350 million people suffer from depression around the world, and 90% 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, techno and heavy metal brought people down even more.
6. Music Helps You Eat Less
Research at Georgia Tech University showed that softening the lighting and music while people ate led them to consume fewer calories and enjoy their meals more. If you’re looking for ways to curb your appetite, try dimming the lights and listening to soft music the next time you sit down for a meal.
7. Music Elevates Your Mood While Driving
Who isn’t guilty of blasting Phish on the highway? A study found that listening to music positively influences your mood while driving, which obviously leads to safer behavior and less road rage.
8. Music Strengthens Learning and Memory
“Music is the language of memory.” – Jodi Picoult
Researchers discovered that music can help you learn and recall information better, but it depends on how much you like the music and whether or not you’re a musician. Subjects memorized Japanese characters while listening to music that either seemed positive or neutral to them. The results showed that participants who were musicians learned better with neutral music but tested better when pleasurable music was playing. Non-musicians, on the other hand, learned better with positive music but tested better with neutral music.
Memorize these results. You now have a strategy to study more effectively for your next test.
9. Music Reduces Pain
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” – Bob Marely
Research at Drexel University in Philadelphia found that music therapy and pre-recorded music reduced pain more than standard treatments in cancer patients. Other research showed that music can decrease pain in intensive care patients and geriatric care patients, but the selection needed to be either classical pieces, meditative music, or songs of the patient’s choosing.
Bob Marely was right about this one – listen to music you love to take your pain away.
10. Music Raises IQ and Academic Performances
Research suggests that taking music lessons predetermines high academic performance and IQ scores in young children. The study surveyed a group of 6-year-olds who 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.
Our scientific understanding of the effects music has on our brains is only starting to take shape; there’s still so much more to learn. So remember, “If you get confused, just listen to the music play!”
