Studies show that certain tracks help reduce stress, relieve pain and work more productively. When a person listens to music, almost all areas of the brain are activated: for example, the auditory cortex, areas responsible for emotions, movement and memory. This helps keep the brain functioning and strengthens a variety of neural networks, including those involved in learning, performing cognitive functions and processing positive emotions. We’ve compiled a few findings from scientists on why music is important for the psyche.
№ 1. Favorite music helps fight stress
Many people turn on their favorite songs when they’re sad. And it really does help you feel better. Scientists have found that listening to music reduces the symptoms of stress – cortisol levels decrease, heart rate slows down and people begin to feel calmer. And in those studies where the respondents were played slow songs, the positive effects were more noticeable.
However, fast music can also have a positive effect on psychological well-being. Australian researchers asked 400 first-year students how they dealt with stress during pandemic and quarantine and how effective this strategy was. It turned out that music is the most popular way to relax and cheer yourself up, besides being quite effective. However, the researchers concluded that there is no universal playlist to combat stress: to feel better, it is more important to listen to music that you like. Also read here about offer of CapitalOne.
№ 2. Musicians are more likely to be in a state of “flow”
Even more mental health benefits can come from practicing music. It turned out that musicians were less stressed and felt more satisfied with life. Apparently, this is a result of the fact that they are more often in a state of flux: during the performance of musical works people concentrate on their activities and feel inspired as much as possible. A rare office worker can boast of such emotions at work.
Mental well-being is not the only benefit of practicing music. A meta-analysis involving 29 studies found that musicians often have better memories. Researchers suggest this may be due to the peculiarities of learning to play musical instruments. At first, it requires tremendous effort and attention: you have to memorize sounds, the notes they are labeled with, and the movements needed to perform a piece of music. With time and practice, however, learning new melodies – and with them other information – becomes easier.
№ 3. Music helps you work more productively
Pleasant music improves productivity: it evokes positive emotions, and people work better when they are in high spirits.
Music not only lifts the mood, but also helps to focus. American scientists were told this by 130 developers who switched to a remote format because of the pandemic. The survey showed that IT professionals felt more productive and creative if they worked while listening to music. And they also stated that music helped them stay focused on work without the distractions of noise. So if you have a noisy road under your windows or your neighbors are making repairs, you know what to do.
Employees from other industries also work more effectively with music. This is evidenced by the results of a British experiment in 1940. Then the factories began to include music on the radio and, according to some managers, increased productivity by 12.5-15%. But not all music is equally useful at work. Researchers in Taiwan studied how different tracks – with and without lyrics – affect attention. They found that music with lyrics makes people more distracted, so instrumental tracks are better for work.
№ 4. Music can alleviate pain
Pythagoras said that music can be used to restore harmony of mind, soul and body. Modern researchers are finding confirmation of his idea.
There are several hypotheses as to why music has a pain-relieving effect. As explained by American scientists, during pain, electrochemical signals are transmitted from the injured place to the spinal cord, and then to the brain – there the signals are processed by several areas at once. But pleasant melodic music – for example, Strauss’s Waltz “The beautiful blue Danube” – can prevent the transfer of pain signals from the spinal cord to the brain.
This is probably due to dopamine: this neurotransmitter is produced when something pleasant happens to us, such as listening to a pleasant melody. But non-melodic modern music leads to the opposite effect – it makes the pain worse.
Another hypothesis is that music simply distracts you: if you don’t concentrate on the pain, it becomes a little less intense. In one study, participants were electrocuted, with half of them being asked to find mistakes in their music performance in parallel, and the other half being asked to listen passively. Those who were busy looking for mistakes rated the level of pain lower.
№ 5. Music can have a beneficial effect on pregnant women and their babies
Music may be forming a bond between pregnant women and their unborn children, and it also calms mothers-to-be. This is the conclusion reached by scientists from Germany. Since previous studies have shown that music helps to relax and relieve stress, they suggested that listening to songs and singing is beneficial to the well-being of mother and baby.
The results show that both music and singing have a positive effect on the emotional state of pregnant women: their cortisol levels were lower than in the control group, and their oxytocin levels were higher. But, of course, further research is needed to confirm the beneficial effects of music on pregnant women. So far, there is not enough data to say for sure.
№ 6. Music probably improves spatial thinking
In 1993, a study by American psychologists was published that showed that within 10 to 15 minutes of listening to Mozart, people performed better on spatial reasoning tests. Modest scientific work thanks to the American media turned into a sensation: a couple of years in the mass consciousness entrenched the idea that the music of this composer increases the level of IQ in general – it was called the “Mozart effect.
The idea turned out to be very tenacious: even five years later, the governor of Georgia proposed to allocate $100,000 from the budget to give every newborn baby a CD of classical music. True, the idea was not supported, and further research has not confirmed a significant effect of sonatas on the intellect.
Still, the possibility that music improves cognitive abilities remains. Another study involving 8,000 schoolchildren compared the effect that music by Mozart and the band Blur had on intelligence. This time it turned out that it was Blur briefly – for 10-15 minutes – improves spatial thinking. Researchers believe that the effect may be related not to the tunes themselves, but to the emotions. Listening to your favorite music or a compelling story improves your mood and makes you feel a rush of energy. This leads to a short-term increase in concentration. But more research is needed to say for sure.