The Magic Of Music

Did you know that music can help relieve stress? I’ve been asking people for ideas on how to keep a strong and healthy mindset during these tough times. And a musician I know said, “What about music?”.

I love music, especially Broadway musicals, but I hadn’t really thought about music as a tool for keeping us positive and motivated. But I looked at the research and realized that music is a really powerful medicine. Here’s some of what researchers have found.

Music increases happiness

Okay, this may seem obvious if you’re a music lover. But research has shown that listening to your favorite music for just fifteen minutes actually releases the happy hormone, dopamine, to give you a natural high.

Music reduces stress and enhances physical health

Listening to music reduces the stress hormone, cortisol, in your body. Stress apparently causes 60% of all illness and disease so having less stress makes you healthier. In one study, they had some people just listening to music and another group playing instruments or singing. Both groups showed an improvement in their immune systems but the group that was singing or playing instruments had even better results.

Music improves sleep

Okay, how many of us are having insomnia these days? A study showed that people who listen to soothing music within an hour of going to bed get to sleep faster and sleep more solidly. Music reduces depression: Again, this has to do with the hormones that music helps you release: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine—the happy hormones. But it also depends on what kind of music you listen to. Research showed that Classical or relaxing music was the best. Techno and heavy metal made people even more depressed.

Music strengthens learning and memory

Some of these studies compared musicians and non-musicians and what music subjects really liked versus music that was just okay or neutral to them. Musicians learned better using neutral music but tested better with music they really liked. Non-musicians learned better by listening to music they really liked but tested better with music they felt neutral about.

Music helps you eat less!

I know some of us have been visiting the refrigerator a little too often in the past few weeks, right? Well, according to research, with a combination of music and soft lighting, people actually eat less and enjoy food more when they do. I could go on and on about the benefits of music that researchers have discovered: It helps with memory in people with Alzheimer’s. It increases verbal skills in young children. It raises IQ and academic performance. It improves recovery time for people who’ve had surgery or a stroke.

With all of its benefits, it’s definitely worth adding more music to your day.