How Music Affects Your Mind, Body and Soul.
We all know that music can affect our mood. It can make us happy, sad, angry, or even put us to sleep. But did you know how it affects your body? Music has been shown to increase our heart rate and blood pressure while lowering our stress levels.
It's not just the sound of the music that has an effect on your brain - it's also what you're listening to. Classical music, for example, is known for reducing activity in parts of the brain associated with anxiety and depression while increasing feelings of joy. As your workday comes to an end, try listening to some relaxing classical music instead of hard rock or jazz before bedtime and see how you feel!
Music and Your Mood
Do you ever find yourself frustrated, angry, or irritated and not know why? It might be the music you're listening to. For example, if someone is listening to a happy song with a happy beat that's going along well with their current mood, they'll have a higher heart rate. But if someone is listening to a sad song with a slow tempo and sad lyrics, they'll have lower heart rate and blood pressure. This is because the sound of the music can affect your mood.
Music also affects how we feel. It's been shown to increase our heart rate and blood pressure while lowering our stress levels. Imagine that! As your workday comes to an end, try listening to some relaxing classical music instead of hard rock or jazz before bedtime and see how you feel!
Music and Your Heart
Music can change your heart rate. A study from the University of Portsmouth found that when volunteers listened to music they liked, their heart rates increased by up to 20 beats per minute. That's about a 10% increase in heart rate! The same study also found that music made people less stressed and happier.
Music and Your Brain
The effects of music on the brain have been studied extensively. Music can actually alter your mood, increase your heart rate and blood pressure, and lower your stress level. This is because the sound waves that make up music are said to stimulate certain cells in our brain called “mirror neurons” which are responsible for our emotions. When we hear a song, the mirror neurons fire off in sync, sending electrical impulses through our brain to produce an emotional response.
There are many different types of music with different effects on the brain. For example, classical music has been shown to reduce activity in parts of the brain associated with anxiety and depression while increasing feelings of joy. Oddly enough, Mozart's famous Requiem Mass - written after his mother's death - is thought to be one of his most depressing works! On the other end of the spectrum, some heavy metal songs have been shown to elevate levels of aggression by more than 30%.
If you're looking for a way to deal with your anxiety or depression at work or help yourself relax at night before bedtime, try listening to some classical music or any other type that interests you! You might find it surprisingly helpful!
Music and Your Soul
Music has the ability to reduce activity in the parts of the brain associated with anxiety and depression while increasing feelings of joy. The mood you're in can also affect how your body reacts to music. For example, if you're in a bad mood, your heart rate will be higher when listening to music. But if you want it to put you to sleep, it needs to have a slower tempo.
No matter what type of music is playing in the background, all types can have an impact on our emotions and behavior. This means that even if you don't think that your favorite genre of music is capable of changing your mood or behavior, it's worth trying out new genres to see how they affect you.
How does music affect your creativity?
Another way that music positively impacts our mental health is by increasing our creativity. Research has shown that music can improve creative problem-solving, encourage divergent thinking, and promote more original ideas.
A study published in the "Journal of Creative Behavior" found that listening to fast-tempo pieces for three minutes increased participants’ scores on a divergent thinking task by up to 15 percent.
The researchers found that listening to upbeat music also increased people’s willingness to explore unfamiliar territory.
This increase in creativity is attributed to the release of dopamine in the brain when people listen to upbeat music. Dopamine is associated with motivation and reward-seeking behavior, which can lead us to explore new or otherwise inaccessible spaces.
How can you use music to fall asleep?
If you're struggling to fall asleep at night, one of the best things you can do is listen to music. There are plenty of apps that play soothing sounds, like white noise or nature sounds. You can also try listening to music on your computer or phone with headphones. Just make sure the volume isn't too loud - it's better if you can barely hear the music!
One thing to keep in mind is what type of music you're playing. Classical music has been shown to lower activity in parts of the brain associated with anxiety and depression while increasing feelings of joy. This type of music might be perfect for helping you fall asleep.
Conclusion
Music is a powerful force that can have a dramatic effect on your mood, creativity and even your sleep patterns. Music is a personal experience and what you enjoy might not be what a colleague enjoys. By experimenting with different types of music you will be able to find the sounds that best suit your tastes and moods. And as you do, you'll see just how much music can have an effect on your day-to-day life.