People have been listening and creating music for more than 40,000 years, and anything that has lasted that long must have its benefits. In fact, along with making you feel generally better, music can actually offer very real health benefits affecting your physical and mental wellbeing.
Connecting People
Whether you’re listening to music in a nightclub or on church sound systems from companies such as apicommunications.co.uk/services/church-sound-systems/, you may well notice a feeling of coming together. Feelings of social connection or cohesion have many benefits for emotional and social wellbeing.
Music and the Mind
Music can stimulate your mind and keep your brain young. It can help you to learn more and improve memory. Music has also been linked to a slowing of cognitive decline, and music therapy is regularly used to help people with dementia. Music memory has been shown to be one of the functions in the brain that is most dementia-resistant.
Neurological research has shown that music actually causes changes in the brain and prompts the release of neurochemicals associated with mental health and brain function. These include dopamine, the pleasure and reward chemical, serotonin and immunity-related hormones and oxytocin, which helps people connect with others.
Another benefit of listening to music is its ability to help with emotional regulation. It can help you to change your mood and also to process feelings. It can help lower anxiety and can help your body recover faster after you have faced stressful situations.
Effects on the Body
Music can cause you to move your body around, and this has many physical benefits, from cardiovascular fitness to improving stamina and flexibility. It can make you feel less tired and can boost performance during exercise. This can result in major changes to your health, ranging from lowering blood pressure to increased heart health.
Music has also been shown to help in pain management. Studies have shown that listening to music can help you manage both chronic and acute pain better than just using medication alone.