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Writer's pictureMaisie Loh

Positive Effects of Music on Mental Health


We often listen to music as a form of entertainment. But besides its entertainment value, music influences our lives a lot more than we can imagine. Music is used for different milestones in life from birth to weddings and funerals. It is also something we turn to when we feel down or depressed. Music can change the way we think, act and feel.


In fact, researchers from the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour, and Development have found that music increases memory and retention. Listening to music also helps to maximise our learning capabilities. Music is becoming more important with our world experiencing changes from the climate, economy, and the pandemic. With World Mental Health Day on October 10 to raise mental awareness in the world, we take a look at the positive effects of music on mental health.


Music Lifts Your Mood


The feeling of well-being includes the feeling of joy and optimism about the future. Music can help us lift our moods. If you are feeling down, there is nothing better than listening to an uplifting and joyous song as loud as you can.


If you are a follower of a religion, religious music or songs often lifts or calms the mind with their meditative or joyful message. But if you are just looking for any music to lift your heart, pick a song with bright musician tones and lyrics to elevate your mood and empower you for the day.


Up-tempo and fast-paced music gets your adrenaline going. It gets your mood boosted for a run or doing any sport if you feel unmotivated.


Stress Reduction


Music is a form of stress reduction. In fact, even in meditation practices well-known to reduce stress, background music supporting meditation is used to calm the mind. Whether music is played in the background or whether you are absorbed in it, certain genres of music have the innate ability to reduce stress.


Soft, ambient music creates a sense of calm for the mind. To use music for stress reduction it is best to avoid up-tempo, rock, and metal to moderate your stress levels.


Reduce Anxiety and Depression


Music therapy has become a popular form of treatment for anxiety and depression. In mental health settings, music therapy improves the functioning of depressed individuals as well as improving the social functioning, mental state, and quality of life of people suffering from schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like disorders. It also helps to improve psychological and physical outcomes in patients undergoing surgery, are mechanically ventilated or are diagnosed with cancer, or have coronary heart disease.


A study by Mindlan International has shown instrumental, classical, or ambient music can help reduce anxiety by up to 65 percent.


Helps with Relaxation


After a hard day at work, music is always a welcomed form of relaxation to help us switch off from restless thoughts after a long day. Playing music easily promotes relaxation, especially slow-tempo, and soft music. It helps to release tension in your muscles and reduces stress or anxiety in the mind and the body.


When your muscles are loosened, so is your mind.


Listening to music to drift off to sleep is also an effective way of relaxing and reducing stress as it can help to slow your breathing and to calm your mind.


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