The Healthy Benefits of Music that is Surely “Pop” for the Soul! BY Samuel Hiers

Music is, indeed, one of the most highly developed art forms in culture. Yet we often go about listening to music so much that we take for granted what it is doing for our greater good, something better than just enjoying it. That is, music has a variety of different impacts on our physical and mental health, which I think is worthwhile to share with the world. So sit back and relax, plug in your earbuds, find a soothing track, and enjoy a gift from me to you - learn what roles music can “play” in you?

I can assume that many of us love music. Listening and/or playing music is a common hobby that has evolved over a long period of time to be one of the widest forms of entertainment. For example, after starting your car, what’s the first thing you do? Well, the radio comes on and you find your favorite music genre to make yourself more comfortable. Music is, indeed, one of the most highly developed art forms in culture.

Yet we often go about listening to music so much that we take for granted what it is doing for our greater good, something better than just enjoying it. That is, music has a variety of different impacts on our physical and mental health, which I think is worthwhile to share with the world. So sit back and relax, plug in your earbuds, find a soothing track, and enjoy a gift from me to you – learn what roles music can “play” in you?

First, music is an overall heart-healthy activity. Although you probably do not feel yourself moving when sitting down with a playlist, your heart is actually allowing blood to flow more easily throughout the body, inducing a calmer state in the heart. Remember how I recommended you to “plug in your earbuds and find a soothing track”? Soothing music also has a variety of benefits on the body and heart, including lowering heart rate and blood pressure, decreasing cortisol levels (which are the primary stress-inducing hormones), and increasing serotonin and endorphin production in the blood, which are “happy hormones” that promote positive, confident feelings throughout the body.

Secondly, listening to music can help elevate mood through the production of another hormone called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, meaning that it sends messages between nerve cells, and also plays a huge role in how we feel and act daily. Increased production of dopamine can help relieve feelings of anxiety and depression. Music shares a strong bond with this hormone, as music is processed directly in the amygdala, the part of the brain where mood and emotions are controlled. This gives a strong sense of positivity and confidence in the brain through music and dopamine working together.

Further, musical activity can reduce and relieve negative moods, such as anxiety and depression. Music is one of those hobbies that can help you to “Pick Yourself Up” and forget about your troubles. Studies have proven to show this through the triggering of biochemical stress reducers, with some shown above. Some, like dopamine, can decrease the amount of stress hormones, and others, like endorphins, can calm down depressive thoughts.

Another very apparent benefit of music is that different genres can stimulate different memories, especially in people with Alzeihmer’s disease and dementia. Recent studies have proven that although these diseases have no cure, musical therapy can relieve many of their symptoms. Patients with these diseases have shockingly been able to relax better, get them in good spirits, and have even resulted in more open communication after listening to music. This is also true since music “plays” a key role in memories and is preserved and linked to specific brain areas. These memories are surprisingly almost untouched by the diseases.

Music can not only mend mental health issues, but with physical health issues and pain as well. Pain management can be well managed as a result of musical therapy’s strong competition with stress hormones in the brain, allowing the brain to deal with these pains more easily. It can also reduce the intensity of any pain, especially combined with other drugs and therapies such as intensive care and palliative medicine.

There is still a whole roster of other benefits that music can have across the body in addition to what is identified above. For example, playing background music or “plugging in” a playlist during a meal can actually increase fullness and can slow down the consumption of food, so people can ultimately consume less in one sitting. Also, listening to workout or motivational tracks can strengthen physical performance and endurance during long workouts, helping people to stay more fit.

In the end, we should realize that music can “play” better roles in our daily lives, not just through the simple entertainment that we think of it as. We can truly learn a greater lesson than to just listen to music more often – we can think more positively about ourselves so that we can overcome our days, get through our challenges, and simply appreciate what life has to offer.