I have met so many people who say music is not just music. It’s a feeling. It heals your heart, it mends your soul.
It is true that music and mental health are interlinked. Music has many a plethora of positive effects on your day to day lives.
Gone are the days when people used to think of music as a bad thing. There are several benefits of listening to music and has a positive psychological effect on people.
Increase Motivation and Lift Mood
Music is known as a great way to make people feel alive. It is a great mood lifter and gives an energy boost even during the dullest of times.
Motivation
Feeling tired and lazy to do your everyday chores? Just put on an upbeat music and you will instantly feel perky.
There is no better form of motivation than dancing to the beats of your favorite song while doing laundry or cleaning the house. Just turn up the music and you’ll enjoy even the worst of chores.
Mood
It can also inspire you to express your feelings. Music is a great reflection of your mood and your emotions. The genre of music you listen to can tell a lot about your mental health and also contribute to your mental health.
Sometimes just listening to your favourite jam can help you forget about all the stress in life and elevate your mood. The rhythmic throb and the thud in music help boost your mental health by giving you an adrenaline rush.
Listen to RnB or pop to distract yourself when you are feeling low or when you feel drained. You can also put on heavy metal or rock music when you’re enraged.
Relaxation
Music has a remedial essence. It helps you calm your mind and keeps you at peace. Choose the right music and you’ll suddenly feel all your worries are fading away.
Music is a great way to reduce anxiety and has a cathartic effect on us which improves our mood. Play something soothing and tuck in under the comfort of your blanket. The solace you will feel is incomparable.
Social connection
Music kills loneliness. If you are bored or suddenly feel lost, play something nice and it will give an instant kick to your mental state.
You can also join various music groups and make new friends. Music connects people in amazing ways. So, attend concerts or visit the shows of your favorite bands and meet new people who are interested in the same things as you!
Boost brain efficiency
You haven’t heard of that, have you? Yes, besides entertaining us and soothing our souls, music apparently also helps improve our attention span.
Focus
Got a writer’s block? Is your brain not working after a long gruesome day? Listen to music.
Not all kinds of music can help you focus, though. Choose some classical music, or some instrumentals to help concentrate on studies or work. The brain can process information more efficiently while listening to music.
Creativity
Ever noticed how artists listen to music while painting? It makes them feel deeply about things and be more creative.
The rhythmic beats and the sound waves from different kinds of music sends positive vibes to your brain. Try listening to different kinds of songs depending on the kind of work you have to do.
Sometimes you need a little push to get something done and music is the best way to give you that motivation.
Music helps brain development
There are lots of benefits of listening to music. A study says that children between the ages of 8-11 are more likely to develop a higher level of IQ verbally when they take music classes.
Music for learning
Music is a great way for mental development among kids. Exposing them to music can help them recognize different melodies and improve their vocabulary.
Even five-month old’s respond more to music than normal speech. It’s more about the melody than the lyrics. The sound signals and the pitch help babies understand the tone of what is being said to them and they react accordingly.
It strengthens their memory and also makes them more energetic. Music also helps them express love and joy in a better way. This makes them more interactive and boosts their natural skills and reflexes.
There are many toys that develop learning skills in children. This is why kids are taught poems and rhymes so that they learn everything faster and enjoy while at it.
Music for people with disabilities
Music is believed to help those suffering from autism, dementia and many other kinds of mental health problems. Music has a healing effect which calms the brain and mind.
Many people believe music to be a medicine for the soul and creates a spiritual awakening among such patients.
Due to the calming effect of music, those who have mental illness feel at ease when exposed to it. They feel peaceful and less agitated or anxious.
Conclusion
Music is something that goes beyond languages and borders. Music is for the heart and the soul. It relieves our stress and gives us a break from the chaos in life.
Our mental health is something that only we have a control over. Music helps us keep our calm even during tough times.
Music is not just a form of entertainment, it provides us with a sense of tranquillity.
Author bio:
Shawn is a content writer for Feedfond. He is a writer by day and passionate musician by night. Read more of his articles at Feedfond.com.
Interested in Discovering More About Mental Health?
Find out more at the upcoming 2020 International Mental Health Conference, held from 29-31 July at RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast.
