Listening
to a song can have a real effect on various parts of the brain, with studies
showing that areas responsible for aspects, such as memory and vision, can
'light up' in response to music. So what benefits can music bring?
Mood boost
Everyone
reacts to music in different ways. One individual may love heavy metal for
example, while another is happiest listening to Mozart. Plugging in to your favorite
music could help melt away a bad mood.
Listening
to pleasurable music of any description induced 'musical chills', which
triggered the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine. Some people listen to music for a boost on a
tough day, while others might use music to keep them awake during a long car journey
or to purge a negative feeling.
The
brain is very complicated – and there are many elements involved in feelings of
pleasure – but it's unsurprising that research suggests dopamine release is
linked with feelings of pleasure induced by music.
Focus
Music
may even be able to help you concentrate.
A
new 'digital tonic' called Ubrain, which can be downloaded onto smartphones,
claims to be able to help people focus, energize, wake up as well as relax. The
process uses two different beats in each ear to create a third 'perceived' beat
(a binaural beat), which can stimulate certain activity in the brain.
By
helping the brain cortex to generate specific brain waves, we can induce
different states of alertness, depending on what we aim to do.
If
we're feeling anxious or stressed, we can encourage our cerebral cortex to produce slow
alpha-frequency brain waves, while on the other end of the scale, if we help
our cortex to produce faster beta waves, we will be better equipped to
concentrate and focus our attention on a fairly lengthy task.
Pick up the pace
Listening
to certain music could actually help you run faster.
Music
can help increase endurance by as much as 15 per cent, helping to lower the
perception of effort during exercise, as well as increasing energy efficiency
by between one and three per cent.
The
best choices for exercise are up-beat songs that match the tempo of your
running stride and which can have a metronomic effect on the body, enabling you
to run for longer.
Better mental health
Music
can be an effective and positive treatment for people dealing with mental
health conditions. There are two distinct ways music therapy is used: either as
a means of communication and self-expression or for its inherent restorative or
healing qualities. Someone who is very withdrawn may find that music can act as
an outlet for expressing things that they're unable to put into words. It can
also act as a stimulus to awaken buried memories or evoke emotional responses
that may take weeks to achieve with talking
therapies.
De-stress
Music
can be a great pick-me-up for when you are feeling stressed. People plugged into their music players to
give them a mood boost about work, and almost one in four would say that they
find listening to music on the way to the workplace helps them de-stress.
The
therapeutic benefits of listening to music are well-known. Tuning in to one of your favorite songs can be
incredibly soothing and help to reduce anxiety.
Patient care
Music
can actually have a significant positive impact on patients with long-term
illnesses, such as heart
disease, cancer and respiratory
conditions.
Numerous
trials have shown that music can help lower heart rate, blood
pressure and help relieve pain, anxiety and
improve patient quality of life.
Music
can be incredibly useful for somebody who is in a situation where they have
lost a lot of control from their external environment – say they are in
hospital for a long period of time with a serious illness and less able to move
around. It can give them a sense of control back, as well as creating a calm
personal atmosphere and blocking out some of the disturbances around the
patient.
Which music?
While
there are certain trends – fast upbeat music for exercising and slower-paced
music to relax choosing songs that have the desired effect is often linked to
personal preference.
The
effect of different types of music on mood will largely depend on people's
individual preference and experience.
If
you grow up with rock music, you might not find classical music uplifting at
all. On the flipside, some people can't bear rock music, so they are more
likely to be wound up than uplifted.
Music
can also invoke particular memories for people, including some that could
potentially make them upset. On the other hand, it could also bring them out of
a severely withdrawn state or act as a form of communication in place of words.
There
are some rules of thumb though. For a general rule, if you want to relax you
should choose songs with slower tempo, less key changes and more predictable
structure. What matters more is the kind of music that edifies your spirit,
educates and enlightens you on your beliefs and taste, but generally benefits
your health.
contact @gumsfather on twitter and instagram
