Philosophers of the past like Plato have described music as ‘moral law,’ modern icons like Billy Joel called it the ‘explosive expression of humanity,’ and contemporary singers like Bruno Mars say that imagination, itself, is a prerequisite of music.
Regardless of the day and age, we know how the right melody can transcend conventional barriers and reach out to our senses in so many different ways. That’s partly why music is such a noble and global phenomenon. It speaks a tongue that can resonate with anyone.
Here’s a reminder of how this ‘universal language’ can have benefits that are far from ordinary yet easy to take for granted.
Boost Cognitive Ability
It’s no accident why top performers in different fields often choose to have a pair of headphones on or have their favorite song blazing in the background when mastering their skill. Research suggests that adults may experience heightened cognition on a particular task when listening to the right music.
This is a common observance with video games adding upbeat music to action sequences or a seasoned writer enjoying some slow jazz when penning down a new chapter of their book.
The general advice here is to pick musical pieces or instrumental tracks instead of heavily-worded songs that may distract your ears and attention.
The Cohesive Effect
Music has the unique social benefit of connecting people and bringing individuals together. The ring of a satisfying harmony or the right intervals in a temp can appeal to a group of people/individuals who, otherwise, may not have much in common.
Romantic numbers that appeal to lovers worldwide, hymnals sung in congregated worship, lullabies that unite parent and child, anthems that sporting fans or athletes sing in unison, etc., are all clear examples of how music induces the feeling of cohesion among people.
Studies suggest that this uniting feeling comes from music as a means of both communication and enjoyment bundled into one phenomenon.
Memory and Recollection
Songs or music that get associated with specific things or events can illicit strong memories and emotions in people. This association is relatively stronger than, say, rote learning because the connection is much more profound and stimulates more senses.
Patients of dementia can often hold on to songs they learned at an early age or certain tunes can create feelings of nostalgia in any person. That’s because these tunes are so strongly attached to the experience that you cannot imagine one without the thought of the other.
Although it’s a subjective experience, many high-performance students will swear that listening to specific songs allow them to learn the information at hand and recollect the same information faster at a later time.
A Tool For Therapy
First off, the exact application of music in the treatment of mental health still requires further research and empirical evidence. However, the ability of music to encourage the production of specific neuro-chemicals in the brain is beyond any doubt.
Many of these common neuro-chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, or cortisol are linked to mental wellness depending on their abundance or deficiency in the body. These chemicals can greatly influence the brain’s function, which leads to changes in the state of mind and, subsequently, in behavior.
The issue of what kind or genre of music to use for inducing which chemicals is a matter best left to medical doctors and professional therapists. But the changes they can make to a person’s overall mental state is clearly visible and unmistakable.
Possibly Eat Less
Although it sounds incredibly far-fetched at first, the right application of music may possibly help you lose weight too.
Ambient lighting and soothing music can induce feelings of relaxation in the body. This subconscious feeling of tranquility can send signals to your brain (and stomach) that you don’t have to eat as much for the moment. It’s partly the reason why you probably don’t have the urge to hog down the food when out on a romantic evening with your partner.
A consistent effect of this setting may lead to continuously controlled meals. The end result is that you may shed those annoying extra pounds that you’ve been meaning to lose before summer. Just make sure you’re not watching videos/movies as you’re listening. The visual stimulation may distract your brain into eating more than you wanted in the first place.
Whisking Through Your Workouts
Music will easily add the extra motivational factor when you’re going through your reps at the gym. It’s well known that the right songs can pump up your adrenaline, push you to your limits, and summon the kind of energy you didn’t know you had.
For one, the music does a great job of distracting your brain from thinking about the fatigue or pain the body is experiencing. That’s a sure-fire way of getting in some extra reps and rounds before hitting the showers.
Also, the physical exertion and music will combine to release additional endorphins that can push you to the next workout with more intensity. This shouldn’t be used as a reason to over-exert yourself or risk injury, of course. But it’s a neat trick for getting through what may otherwise be a tormenting or troubling set of exercises.
Pair this up with your controlled eating with music, and you may find that those elusive washboard abs arrive sooner than you expected.
Cuts Down Anxiety and Stress
Regardless of how content and happy one may seem on the outside, we’ve all had bouts of stressful or anxious times. That’s simply the way life hurls experiences at you.
Music has this uncanny yet refreshing ability to reduce these negative effects of stress and ease the weight of unwelcome anxiety. Stress and anxiety, together, can exhaust and drain both your body and your mind in no time. The right music can reset your mental state and allow your body to rest, recover, and rejuvenate without the weight of worry overshadowing your thoughts at every step.
Closing Note
The uplifting powers of good music demand that more research and investigation be made on how we can use it to our advantage. Till then, rest easy and leverage the proven benefits of music by hooking up your earphones and hitting play every time you start a favorite activity at work or at home.