Is Music Healthy?

You inquired,"Is Music Good For Your Health?"

TLDR: We at loopazon have always thought such, and new research is showing that it indeed very much does. 

If you want to shift your mood quickly, turn on some music.

Music has been shown to increase mood and prevent depression in research. It can also improve blood flow in the same manner as statins do, as well as lower stress-related compounds like cortisol and relieve pain. Prior to surgery, listening to music can even improve post-operative outcomes.

What makes music so beneficial? Music appears to “activated selectively " neurochemical systems and brain regions involved with good mood, emotion control, attention, and memory, according to Kim Innes, a professor of medicine at West Virginia University's School of Public Health.

Innes coauthored a 2016 study that found that listening to music can lower stress levels and increase pleasure and well-being in older people with memory loss. Her research compared the effects of music to those of meditation, a prominent mental-health approach. She observed that both habits were linked to significant improvements in mood and sleep quality. These findings are wonderful if the idea of listening to music instead of meditating appeals to you.

Music, on the other hand, has been found in tests to annoy and agitate people.

"Silent can be more beneficial than eavesdropping at random," says Joanne Loewy, associate professor and director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York. "Some of our findings show that simply listening to music might cause an anxious reaction." (Listen to the terrifying soundtracks from films like Halloween or The Shining if you need examples of how music can fan the fires of terror rather than extinguish them.

In addition to causing tension, the wrong music, according to Loewy, may enhance rumination or other negative mental states. Music may both increase and prevent undesirable feelings like fury, hatred, and despair, according to a 2015 Finnish study. Why? The beat and other aspects of the songs we chose may affect our pulse rates and the activity of our brain's neural networks, according to the professor of psychology Daniel Levitin, at McGill University -Canada.

According to Levitin, slow-paced music with progressive chord progressions and drawn-out notes is calming, but chaotic and up-tempo music has the opposite effect. All of this, though, is subjective. According to Levitin, he has encountered people who state that AC/DC is their go-to music for unwinding. "These were people who usually listened to Swedish speed metal," he adds, " As a result, AC/DC was soothing to them." " There is no particular musical composition that will have the same effect on everyone."

He also contends that the brain does not have a single "music center." "Music stimulates nearly every part of the brain that we've discovered so far," says the researcher," says the researcher. This demonstrates the universality and potency of music's ability to affect us.

Levitin believes that if you want to utilize music to de-stress, pump yourself up, or otherwise change your mental or emotional state, you probably already have a library of songs that will do the trick. Do not hesitate to get straight in. Keeping distractions to a minimal is all that is required. He continues, "We delude ourselves into believing that we can perform two things at once." While listening to inspiring music may encourage you to exercise harder or for longer periods of time, he says that listening to calming music while reading the news or scrolling through social media will not help you relax.

Music therapy mainly focuses on using songs and rhythms to improve patients’ health. This will help you develop a stronger connection between music and your health. " As therapists, we work with people who want to feel more whole or optimistic—or to find pieces of oneself they didn't realize they had—by utilizing music according to Turry.

Music therapy can take a variety of forms. According to Turry, one is "music with guided visuals," in which a professional therapist uses music chosen by the patient to assist a person identify her strengths or challenges. He continues, "Music can help to create a [therapist-patient] bond. Attunement." “The patient feels as if the counselor is with them while they listen to music. "Really appeals to me," says the patient. It implies that music does have positive effect on mental health.

Singing or playing an instrument are examples of other methods of music therapy. It explains the idea that the way we play the instrument explains our mental state. That kind of information may be helpful to therapist. 

"Music allows us to connect with our emotional life, which we frequently keep concealed, while bypassing our cerebral side," Turry argues. "If someone is going through a difficult moment, music may typically help"

According to study, music with a rhythm or beat has an effect on the motor cortex, the region of the brain responsible for planning, regulating, and executing movement. When this portion of the brain is activated, we feel compelled to move, which engages our muscular and cardiovascular systems. There are various examples of how music can motivate us to exercise, refine our focus, and motivate us to keep going, all of which have an effect on those two systems.

Music can inspire us to keep going when we've reached our physical boundaries. Runners fine-tune their playlists so that when they reach the final mile and their bodies are ready to quit, a specific song or songs will play, motivating them to keep going. The perfect song at the right time can help our muscular and cardiovascular systems achieve new heights.

Certain types of exercise/movement, on the other hand, necessitate that we remain calm and relaxed rather than pumped. Yoga sessions usually feature music that is either very slow or barely audible. Without this rhythm, our muscles do not receive the signal to move. By decreasing our heart rate and breathing, this instrumental music can help us move from a sympathetic to a calm state.

Studies have repeatedly found a link between musical instruction and academic success in both children and adults throughout the years. Even learning to play a musical instrument as an adult activates the brain and enhances processes like memory and abstract reasoning. This is due to the production of brain-building substances such as BDNF, CREB, and synapsin I, which are neural growth factors that help you think more clearly. As a result, if you want to get smarter, begin by learning to play an instrument.

As you advance in music, you may be able to stretch your mental and emotional wellness through creativity. People are encouraged to try new things, develop new tactics, and expand their creativity by listening to music. This could be quite useful to your emotional well-being. In reality, listening to music you enjoy, experimenting with melodies, and writing your own songs can all aid in the processing of your emotions. Embrace your creative side as you take on the challenge of learning a musical instrument.

Music can help you relax by allowing you to express yourself creatively via your thoughts and feelings. People can be made happy by listening to music, according to several studies. According to Inc., one study found that listening to and playing music lowered participants' anxiety and despair. Rather than wallow in your troubles, music allows you to channel your energy into a positive activity, which reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and lowers heart rate, making you feel better physically, psychologically, and emotionally.

Finally, music can boost your self-esteem while also enhancing your health. Setting a goal, putting in the time and effort to achieve it, and then finally completing a song are three things that come to mind. The more time and effort you put into music, the more self-assured you will become, and your health will improve. If you want to feel better in your daily life, consider picking up an instrument and giving it a try.

It goes without saying that learning and playing music has several benefits. This week, in honor of music, buy a musical instrument of your choice and consider trying music for yourself to live a better, healthier life.