The Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Music

Music is often referred to as “the universal language.” There is no doubt that music can break down emotional barriers, providing soothing comfort, and make people feel more connected with each other and themselves. 

But, more studies have started to show that music impacts more than just your emotions. It can also have an impact on both your physical and mental health. Research has found that music can be used for everything from reducing pain to lowering stress levels. 

It’s estimated that the average American spends around 18 hours a week listening to music, so the next time you put on your favorite song, consider how it might be helping you to get through your day. Music is more beneficial than most people realize, so if you’ve never thought about what it might be doing for your mind and body, let’s take a closer look. 

Music and Your Mind

Music plays such an important role in mental health that music therapy has become extremely popular. Music therapy is used to improve someone’s quality of life by addressing everything from the physical and cognitive to the social needs of that person. Some of the common mental health issues music is used to treat include anxiety and depression. 

Music can also help to lower stress and allow you to stay focused. If you’ve ever wondered why you seem to be more productive while having music playing in the background, it’s because it often works as a focusing tool, rather than being distracting. Even children benefit mentally from listening to music. For kids, music can help them to:

• Relax/calm down
• Release emotional tension
• Become more sociable
• Improve their overall mental state

If you want to include music as a part of your mental health care, there are no special hoops to jump through. Simply listening to or playing music regularly can improve your mental state. But, if you want to set up a self-care routine, you can listen to calming music in a specific space within your home while meditating or practicing mindfulness. 

It doesn’t matter where you live, you can still harness the healing power of music in a tranquil space by making a few upgrades/changes. Simple things like changing the lighting or even the paint color in a room can help you to feel more relaxed and focused on what you’re listening to. The best part? These easy changes can be done anywhere, even if you live in a rental or apartment. 

Music and Motivation

Now that you know how music can improve your focus, it’s easy to see why it is often such a great motivator. How many times have you seen someone running down the street or on a trail with headphones on? Music is a great way to stay physically healthy because it encourages a growth mindset in just about every way. 

If you have a physical goal you’d like to achieve, listening to music is a great way to get “pumped up.” Studies have even shown that listening to music while you run or work out can improve your performance because it distracts you from any pain or discomfort you might be feeling, allowing you to keep going. 

When it comes to your job or other goals you want to achieve in your life, music can also motivate you to do more and learn more. Combined with other growth mindset activities, that can help you to feel more: 

• Empowered
• Committed
• Collaborative
• Supported
• Innovative

That can trigger a positive cycle in which you feel good, so you’re motivated to do more, both physically and in your work/personal life. Listening to music at work will not only help with your stress levels, but it can boost your mood, which also will cause you to be more motivated. 

So, don’t just put on your headphones when you’re trying to get a good workout in. Make music a part of as many areas of your life as possible, especially when you need a little extra motivation. 

Music and Moving Forward

While it was mentioned earlier that music can help to reduce stress, it can also be used as a form of therapy, or a way to “move past” certain dark areas in your life. For example, music is sometimes used as a part of addiction recovery. 

Addiction recovery is difficult. Someone who has been dealing with some type of substance abuse for a while will have to undergo an initial detox. Detox often includes symptoms like anxiety, nausea, confusion, and irritability. Music can help right away with many of these emotional and mental issues, working as a calming agent to allow the person to focus and eliminate some of their stress. 

On a long-term basis, music is used in addiction recovery because it allows those trying to get past their addiction to: 

• Accept difficult emotions
• Improve self-esteem
• Promote self-awareness
• Reduce stress
• Provide an outlet for self-expression

Whether you’re trying to recover from an addiction or you’re dealing with other stressors in your life, music therapy can be a beneficial outlet to look into that can get you the help you deserve. 

Utilizing the positive health effects of music in your daily life, both physically and mentally, can improve your overall quality of living. So, whether you’re just listening or playing, make music a central figure in your life, and you’ll be amazed by the benefits. 

Courtesy of Indiana Lee.