Music &
There are so many wonderful benefits to listening to music. Music is powerful. If you’ve ever felt motivated to get up and dance when your favourite up-beat anthem is playing or if you’ve found yourself shedding tears when a song is played that reminds you of something or someone special then you will understand the power that music has to not only inspire action but also to impact your emotions. Research shows that the feel good hormone dopamine is released when music is played.
Below we explore some of the other benefits of listening to music and the positive impact that can have on your wellbeing.
Focus
Music is great for helping us to focus on the task at hand. It helps our brains to process information more efficiently. Have a go playing some gentle music softly in the background whilst your working or focusing on an activity and see how it helps your productivity.
Expression
There are times when we may find it really hard to express how we are feeling. Music can help us to process our emotions and to express them. When you are listening to music have a note pad near you and write down how a piece of music makes you feel. You may feel inspired to write a poem or a song of your own expressing how you feel.
Community
Music has the wonderful ability to be able to build community. If you’ve ever been at a live gig or sung together as part of a choir you’ll know that music unites people. When we build community with one another then feelings of loneliness and isolation can reduce. Why not share your favourite playlist today with your friends.
Motivation
Sometimes it can be really hard to get motivated. Maybe we dream of starting an exercise plan like couch to 5k but we just can’t get off the couch! Music can be the motivator that we need to get up and go. Have a go at downloading some upbeat music and whether it’s completing the exercise programme you’d love to do or vacuuming the house whilst having a boogie to your favourite tune music may just be the key to completing the task.
Relaxation
Music can be very soothing and is a great tool to help us manage stress and relax. Quiet, soothing music, especially classical can be very calming for us. It can be a distraction from the stresses of life helping us to explore our emotions and also lift our mood. If you don’t normally listen to music give it a go by listening to CD’S in your car or maybe downloading a calming playlist to enjoy on a relaxing walk.
Download our tips in a printable format:
You may also find the following online resources helpful:
Tayrn from Mind blogs about his research into how music reduces stress.