Have you ever wondered why music is so universal among human cultures? You can go to uncontacted tribes in the Amazon, Africa, and the Arctic, and they will still have music traditions of their own.
The answer is how it affects our mood. The moment someone discovered that tapping a stick and bobbing their head felt good, everyone started doing it, perhaps fifty thousand years ago.
In this post, we explore the unique role of music on mood and mental health. We talk about how it can energize, help you cope with stress, and improve your mood over time.
Music Can Improve Cognitive Performance
Children have to sit in exams in silence. But there is evidence that music can enhance cognitive performance substantially. The reasons for this are complex, but researchers believe it might have something to do with how musical sounds silence some parts of the brain and activate others.
For instance, science reveals that listening to background music while doing another task can improve your processing speed and memory, especially if you are an older adult. That might be one of the reasons so many office workers use headphones. It helps them concentrate on documents and spreadsheets.
It could also be why some people listen to music while meditating. Again, it may assist with concentration and focus.
With that said, not all music is equally beneficial. If it’s too loud or fast, it can actually hamper concentration.
Music Can Reduce Stress
Another way music influences health is in its ability to reduce stress. Stress is a common problem that many people face in their daily lives and it can wind up becoming quite negative, leading to anxiety and depression.
Things like playing the piano help to combat this by providing an outlet to let the mind relax. Research shows that playing or listening to soothing music can lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels, a powerful stress-related hormone that can age you faster if you have too much of it.
The best music to listen to calm down is certain types of classical music, meditative music, and ambient sounds. While they might not have an immediate effect, you should notice a change in your psychology after 30 minutes or so.
Music Can Lift Your Mood
Related to this last point is music’s ability to elevate your mood. If you’re feeling down, putting on the Stone Roses or Tiana Green music can help you feel better.
But why is this? It comes down to music’s ability to help people deal with negative emotions, such as sadness or anger. Music appears to switch off these parts of the brain while also offering support, catharsis, and validation for your feelings.
Music Can Improve Sleep Quality
Lastly, there’s some evidence that music may enhance sleep quality, improving your immune system and ability to function during the day. Some people listen to ambient sounds before they sleep to block out other noises in their environment, helping them drift off peacefully instead of cars or other people waking them up.
