Music and Mental health

 World Mental Health Day was recently celebrated on October 10th. On a similar note, I want to discuss about the mental health benefits of listening to particular types of music.

Firstly, according to studies, when music is played, blood flows more freely. It also lowers blood pressure, lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), and raises serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood.

On a “bad day” listening to music will elevate your mood. This is because the hormone dopamine is produced in the brain in response to music. An increase in dopamine production can help alleviate anxiety and despair. The amygdala, the region of the brain involved in mood and emotions, processes music directly.

In a fast-paced world, we have numerous activities to do. We often find ourselves caught up in a heap of assignments that have to be finished by the end of the day, and you might have not even started a few tasks. This pressure built on us by society, jobs, and other tensions increases our stress. Music is a free, and fun medicine to reduce your stress. Music has been shown to relieve tension by stimulating biological stress reducers, according to research.

People who are depressed may benefit from music therapy. Patients had less depressive symptoms when music therapy was utilised in conjunction with established treatment approaches than when traditional treatment was used alone. When music therapy was included to the treatment plan for these depressed patients, they experienced a reduction in anxiety and an improvement in their ability to function. 

Music therapy, in addition to its psychological effects, may also aid with physical pain in a way that enhances general mental well-being. Not only may music therapy minimise discomfort and the quantity of sedative medication necessary during treatments, but it also has the potential to reduce anxiety and improve patient satisfaction.

Typically music between 50-80 beats per minute will stimulate creativity and increase productivity as well. “Chasing Pavements” by Adele is an example.

In conclusion, music is more than mere 5-10 minutes of a break in our stressful lives because it plays a major role throughout. Recognizing music’s benefits and availing it’s benefits will do wonders to us.