“Where words fail, Music speaks.”
-Hans Christian Anderson
As pleasurable and joyous as listening to music can be, it is widely used as a medium to manage stress and improve mental well-being. There are countless other psychological benefits to listening to music alongside the potential for pleasure and joy. Music can elevate the spirit, energise the body, and even help pain management.
The immune system, mental health, self-esteem, and confidence are all thought to be boosted by music. It is also said to increase intelligence and focus. Additionally, music can help with insomnia by encouraging and inducing a deep slumber.
Did you all know that listening to music can be therapeutic?
Yehudi Menuhin has rightly said, “Music is therapy. It is a communication far more powerful than words, far more immediate, far more efficient.”
Music therapists design customised sessions to help you achieve your goals, just like those in other types of therapy, such as art therapy. Goal-oriented music listening, playing and composing music, and songwriting are a few examples of activities that can be used in music therapy. This kind of “purposeful” interaction with music can support speech or physical therapy, stimulate pleasant moods, and even help you work through troubling emotions or difficulties.
Since each of us has a unique relationship with the music we enjoy, we may use it to evoke particular feelings and emotions that are particular to that relationship. For example, the sorts of music that are most likely to induce calmness are classical, soft pop, and some world music. Classical music is considered to have a calming, soothing impact.
Rap music may be uplifting and empowering while you’re feeling depressed or struggling with challenges in your life.
You can “enhance identity development” and improve your social abilities by listening to heavy metal music.
The studies examine how music affects our health and how it can reduce stress and calm us down. This research has grown in fascinating and unexpected new ways in recent years.
The following are some recent findings:
- Based on a recent 2021 research, individuals who listened to both neutral and personal selection of music at home and in a lab setting dramatically “reduced cortisol levels.” (Cortisol is a hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. It helps your body by responding to stress)
- The use of music therapy in operating room staff prevented burnout to a large extent. According to a six-week study by trusted sources, employees’ levels of stress and emotional tiredness dropped after a month of daily 30-minute music listening sessions at work.
- According to a 2018 survey, 62% of participants said that music (of various genres) helped them fall asleep, primarily because it helped them relax and take their minds off daily pressures. Less music consumption was associated with poorer sleep quality.
- Music therapy or listening to music reduced depression levels and was linked to boosting confidence and motivation, particularly in group settings.
- Research has found that music interventions may increase the quality of life of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease by improving cognitive performance, especially when they take the form of comforting personal playlists.
Neither is music a mystical elixir nor a substitute for therapy, drugs, surgery, or any other types of medical care. But in addition to being a great ally in coping with more severe medical concerns, music may be a significant everyday component of your well-being and self-care.
Ultimately, the most crucial takeaway is: keep listening!
Sukhada
Know your Author