Music can be a source of entertainment; even research has suggested that music might make you healthier. Music can bring you joy and contentment. But there are other psychological benefits to it. Music can help you relax, energize your body, and even help you manage pain better.
It is not surprising that music can influence thoughts, feelings, actions, and behavior. You’ve probably felt inspired to action by live performances or pumped up listening to your favorite rock song.
Music can have powerful and broad-ranging psychological effects. Music therapy can improve emotional well-being, stress management, and psychological well-being. Research suggests that music taste can give insight into your personality.
1. Music can improve cognitive performance
Background music (music played while an older adult is focused on another activity) can benefit cognitive tasks. A study showed that listening to more upbeat music can improve processing speed and memory, while playing upbeat or downbeat music can lead to better performance on cognitive tasks in older adults.
To improve your mental performance, turn on some music while you work. I prefer instrumental music to those with more complicated lyrics. This can be distracting.
2. Music can reduce stress
Music has been shown to help manage and reduce stress. The trend is centered around meditative music that soothes the mind and induces relaxation. Music can help you cope with stress.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three situations before being subjected to stressors and then given a psychosocial stress test. Participants listened to soothing music while others heard the sounds of rippling waters. The rest were not exposed to any auditory stimuli.
Results showed that music could affect the human response and the autonomic nervous system.
3. Music Can Help You Eat Less
Music can be an effective tool for weight loss. This is one of the surprising psychological benefits. Listening to soothing music and dimming your lights can help you lose weight.
Researchers suggest that music and lighting can create a more relaxing environment. Participants who were more comfortable and relaxed may have eaten more slowly and been more aware when they felt full.
This can be done by playing soft music while you eat dinner. Relaxing in a relaxed setting can make you eat slower and feel fuller more quickly.
4. Music can improve your memory
Many students love to listen to music while studying. But is this a good idea? While some students feel that listening to music while they learn helps improve memory, others believe it is a distraction.
It may be beneficial, according to research. It depends on some factors, including the music being played, how much the listener enjoys it, and how musically proficient the listener is.
One study found that musically naive students learn better by listening to upbeat music. This could be because the songs provoked more positive emotions and did not interfere with memory formation.
Music-trained students performed better on learning tests when listening to neutral music. This could be because it was less distracting and more difficult to ignore. Learning is easier in silence or with neutral music playing in the background if you are easily distracted by music.
5. Music can help manage pain
Music can help with pain management, according to research. A study on fibromyalgia patients showed that the piece could be very helpful in managing pain.
Participants who listened to music every day for four weeks experienced significant decreases in their feelings of depression and pain. These results indicate that music therapy may be effective for chronic pain management.
Although music can be enjoyed anytime, researchers found that pre-surgery listening to music was more effective. A data review from over 7,000 patients revealed that music listeners required less pain medication.
Patients were also allowed to choose their music, which slightly improved pain management results but was not statistically significant.
6. Music may help you sleep better
People of all ages can have insomnia. There are many ways to treat insomnia, but research has shown that classical music can be an effective and safe treatment.
Study results showed that people who listened to music had better sleep quality than those who listened to audiobooks or had not been influenced.
7. Music can improve motivation
Twelve healthy male students were asked to cycle on a stationary bicycle at their own pace in an experiment designed to examine this effect. The participants were required to bike for 25 minutes each while listening to six popular songs at different tempos.
The researchers made subtle changes to the music, which were not apparent to the listeners. They then measured the performance. The music could be played at average speed, increased by 10%, or decreased by 10%.
Increasing the speed of the tracks led to improved performance in terms of distance covered, pedaling rate and power exerted. However, slowing down the music’s pace led to decreased performance regarding distance covered, speed of pedaling, and power exercised.
8. Music can improve mood
Music has the science-backed benefit of making you happier.
Researchers discovered that music plays a significant role in mood and arousal. Participants rated music’s ability to help them feel better and more self-aware as the two most essential functions.
Another study showed that listening to upbeat music dramatically affects moods within two weeks. For two weeks, participants were asked to listen to upbeat music daily to improve their mood.
Others listened to music, but they weren’t told to be happier. Participants listened to music but were not asked to become more comfortable.
9. Music may help reduce symptoms of depression
Research has also shown that music therapy is a safe and effective treatment option for many disorders, including depression.
One study showed that music therapy is a safe and low-risk method to reduce anxiety and depression in patients with neurological conditions like stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s.
Music can affect mood. However, it is important to consider the genre of music. Classical music and meditation have the best mood-enhancing benefits. Techno and heavy metal music can be detrimental and ineffective.
10. Music can improve endurance and performance
Music’s ability to improve performance is another significant psychological benefit. Music’s ability to enhance performance is another significant psychological benefit.
Listening to music can help runners run faster. They also feel more motivated and have greater endurance. A workout should be between 125 to 140 beats per hour.
Why is music so good for your workout? While you work out, the piece can reduce your perception of exertion. It doesn’t feel like you are working harder, but it does seem that way.
Music can distract your attention and make it harder to see the obvious signs of exertion, like increased respiration, sweating, or muscle soreness.
A word from Verywell
Music has the power to inspire and entertain. However, it can also have powerful psychological effects that enhance your well-being and health.
Consider the mental benefits of music in your daily life. Instead of viewing music as entertainment, think about how music can improve your mental health. It is possible to feel more motivated and happier as a result.