Music to most people is joy, fun and happiness and a source of escape for a minute or two. But aside providing the relaxation you may need, music works its magic by having various other effects on us as humans.
Fast music actually has the potential to increase your heart rate, but slow cool music tends to slow your heart rate and give you relief whilst putting you at ease. Our brains have different pathways for processing different parts of music including pitch, melody, rhythm, and tempo.
While not enough is understood about music yet, research suggests, listening to music you actually like helps soothe you by the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a hormone which plays a role in your positive moods.
Music can make us feel strong emotions, such as joy, sadness, or fearsome will agree that it has the power to move us. According to some researchers, music may even have the power to improve your health and well-being with its therapy.
The known positive effects of music include;
Soothes premature babies:– Live music and lullabies may impact vital signs, improve feeding behaviours and sucking patterns in premature infants, and may increase prolonged periods of quiet–alert states.
Improves mood:- Music has been known to benefit the overall well-being, help regulate emotions, and create happiness and relaxation in one’s everyday life.
Reduces stress:– Listening to ‘relaxing’ music (generally considered to have slow tempo, low pitch, and no lyrics) has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in healthy people and in people undergoing medical procedures (e.g., surgery, dental, colonoscopy).
Lessens anxiety:- People with cancer have shown to be less anxious when listening to music is combined with standard care compared to those who received standard care alone.
Improves exercise:– Studies suggest that music can enhance aerobic exercise, boost mental and physical stimulation, and increase overall performance.
Helps children with autism spectrum disorder:– Children with autism spectrum disorder have been realized to show great improvement in social responses, communication skills, and attention skills when introduced to music therapy at a young age.
Improves memory:– According to research, the repetitive elements of rhythm and melody help our brains form patterns that enhance memory. In a study of stroke survivors, listening to music helped them experience more verbal memory, less confusion, and better-focused attention.
Eases pain:- In studies of patients recovering from surgery, those who listened to music before, during, or after surgery had less pain and more overall satisfaction compared with patients who did not listen to music as part of their care.
There may be even more unexplored benefits of music. So, the next time you listen to music, make sure you do with the intent of improving some aspect of your health.
