As I'm sure most of you know, music impacts all of our lives in one way or another, and recently I carried out a survey on this topic, which I wanted to discuss a little, today. Music is a huge part of my life and has benefitted me in countless ways. In my survey, 86% of respondents would agree with me in that, saying that music has positively impacted their mental health to a high extent. Of course this was to be expected, but what I'm going to explore is the 'why'? I also want to point out that not a single respondent said that music did not impact their life in any way! And as for 'how' music impacts people's lives, I got these results:
There was a huge range of different musical activities that people get involved in, with the vast majority being simply listening to music - something that anyone can do so easily, and receive so many benefits from. Something that I'm doing as I'm writing this post now. It plays a great part in this modern world we live in. You only have to walk down the street to see that. Everyone's listening to music with headphones, or watching musicians busk, or you name it and music is probably involved in some way. Because it's just so good.
Now for the reasons:
1. Improving Focus
In this day an age, an attention-span is pretty non-existent. Especially with all the online learning and working-from-home that we've experienced recently. But music can help. This is because music engages your brain in a way that you can pay much better attention to the task at hand. Your brain processes everything that's going on around you and breaks it down into smaller, more manageable chunks, and thus your brain can absorb and understand new information easier. Plus, putting in some earphones and getting your head down can be a really useful way to block out distractions, such as family members, or if you're working in a public area. It helps you feel more isolated, and allows you to focus on one thing at a time, much more deeply.
2. Improving Your Mood
Listening to music helps relieve stress and can put you in a more positive frame of mind. Activities like studying can be super stressful and so playing some music during this period can help to relax you. This is due to the rhythmic aspects stimulating the neocortex of your brain, which calms you and reduces impulsivity.
Or if you're just feeling a bit down, or a bit angry, or a bit anything, all you have to do is search up how you're feeling on Spotify, pick a playlist and have a listen. It's that easy and you'll probably be able to relate to the lyrics and feel acknowledged. This is talk therapy - where someone is able to speak about things that they might otherwise find tricky to. It's a less difficult way to express thoughts and feelings.
3. Motivating You
If you're struggling to motivate yourself to complete a piece of work, turning on some music may give you the boost, or entertainment you need to continue. Plus it allows your brain to engage reward centres. And rewarding yourself with music that you love, can be enough to get you to finish that work that you've been staring at for half an hour! It just makes you feel good, boosting your self-confidence, and giving you the desire to achieve things.
So there you have it - a brief exploration on the magical benefits of listening to a bit of music!
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