There aren’t many who can say they don’t enjoy listening to music of some form. Music has many roles in our society, including relaxation, advertising, celebration, worship, and countless others. Music can ease our worries, energize our bodies, and has even been shown to be capable of improving pain management. Studies exploring the effects of music on the body continue to show results that are surprising to some. Recently it’s been discovered that it can alter behavior, help manage emotion, and influence how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
Discovering The Psychological Impact of Music
Studies on the psychological impact of music have revealed that it is both wide-ranging and powerful. Music therapy has been implemented to promote emotional health, ease stress, and enhance a sense of well-being. Some studies have demonstrated that a person’s taste in music can provide valuable insight into their personality. Below, we will explore some of the discoveries studies like these have made.
- Music Can Improve Cognitive Performance – There’s more to background music than merely keeping our ears occupied and avoiding outside distraction. The right music has been shown to boost cognitive performance, especially in older adults. Upbeat music has been demonstrated as enhancing processing speed, while music, in general, can enhance memory function.
- Stress Reduction – While it’s been common knowledge that music is a favored way of easing stress, it has been backed by scientific research only recently. This has led to a trend in the development of music aimed at inducing relaxation, soothing the mind, and aiding meditation.
- Reduce Overeating – With America being in the midst of an obesity epidemic, this is a valuable discovery. Music has been demonstrated as making it possible to reduce food cravings, especially when combined with dimmed lighting. This is partially the result of an enhanced feeling of comfort and relaxation, leading to slower eating and thus feeling full faster.
- Memory Enhancement – Music has been a constant companion to students studying for time out of mind. Scientific study reveals that, rather than merely being a distraction, it may actually enhance the retention of information.
The effects of music on our psyche are still the subject of ongoing research. As this research continues, some interesting trends are revealing themselves. Among them is that those who are classically trained respond better to simpler music when using it as background noise. This is the result, in part, of their ability to analyze the complexity of the music itself. When more complex music is used by these individuals, they can become distracted by appreciating the patterns and techniques used within.
Learn About Music Therapy And What It Can Do For You
If you’re interested in exploring music therapy and how it can help you in your day-to-day life, reach out to your mental care professional. You may discover a powerful new tool that can help you manage the stress of daily life and navigate the struggles of any mental health challenges you may face.
