How Listening To Music Can Have Psychological Benefits

[appalachiablue]

'How Listening to Music Can Have Psychological Benefits,' By Kendra Cherry. Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD Updated on December 10, 2019.

Listening to music can be entertaining, and some research suggests that it might even make you healthier. Music can be a source of pleasure and contentment, but there are many other psychological benefits as well. Music can relax the mind, energize the body, and even help people better manage pain. The notion that music can influence your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors probably does not come as much of a surprise. If you've ever felt pumped up while listening to your favorite fast-paced rock anthem or been moved to tears by a tender live performance, then you easily understand the power of music to impact moods and even inspire action.



The psychological effects of music can be powerful and wide-ranging. Music therapy is an intervention sometimes used to promote emotional health, help patients cope with stress, and boost psychological well-being. Some research even suggests that your taste in music can provide insight into different aspects of your personality.

Why Music Therapy Can Be So Effective, Music Can Improve Cognitive Performance: Research suggests that background music, or music that is played while the listener is primarily focused on another activity, can improve performance on cognitive tasks in older adults. One study found that playing more upbeat music led to improvements in processing speed, while both upbeat and downbeat music led to benefits in memory. So the next time you are working on a task, consider turning on a little music in the background if you are looking for a boost in your mental performance. Consider choosing instrumental tracks rather than those with complex lyrics, which might end up being more distracting.

Music Can Reduce Stress: t has long been suggested that music can help reduce or manage stress. Consider the trend centered on meditative music created to soothe the mind and inducing relaxation. Fortunately, this is one trend supported by research. Listening to music can be an effective way to cope with stress. In one 2013 study, participants took part in one of three conditions before being exposed to a stressor and then taking a psychosocial stress test. Some participants listened to relaxing music, others listened to the sound of rippling water, and the rest received no auditory stimulation.

The results suggested that listening to music had an impact on the human stress response, particularly the autonomic nervous system. Those who had listened to music tended to recover more quickly following a stressor... 7 Ways to Use Music for Stress Relief

Music Can Help You Eat Less, Sleep Better, etc...

More, https://www.verywellmind.com/surprising-psychological-benefits-of-music-4126866

[hlthe2b]

1. +1 I concur

[Skittles]

2. yes

aw heck, I credit an AC/DC concert with helping me get out the depression I felt when my dad killed himself - it was like a shot in the arm

[Frasier Balzov]

3. *Playing* music even moreso.

My anecdotal two cents.

[BigmanPigman]

4. Listening to my favorite albums

or driving to their music improves my attitude immediately. It also makes me drive A LOT better. I realized this years ago when I was doing "mindfullness" exercises. Just looking at my sweet dog made my stress go from 100% to zero in a nanosecond. Same goes with my favorite music. Now that my little dog has died music keeps me going.

[CaptYossarian]

5. Music can do so much.

After I reached 50, the blood pressure and all the other notorious numbers rose dramatically, so I weaned myself off the screaming guitars and voices. I'm glad I was slightly prepared for the last 4 years of President Yakety Sax (the most appropriate song his campaign never pirated).

Also, every college paper to ever roll out of my IBM Selectric was aided by CSN(Y) vinyl. Good writing begets good writing.