There has been a long-standing perception that music has a profound effect on our mood. However, new research now shows that music does not only affect your mood, but it can also change your perception of the world. Everyone must have observed at some point or the other that listening to sad music makes us feel sad, whereas listening to an upbeat and happy tune immediately lifts up our spirits. Since years now, music has been an integral part of our existence and now it is time to better understand the benefits of listening to music on our mood. But can music really affect our mood? Let us find out.
Can Music Really Affect Your Mood?
A research study was done at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland and Durham University in the United Kingdom have tried to show the mood-boosting effects of music along with the possible therapeutic impact as well. In fact, their research even showed that listening to sad music also brings comfort and pleasure to the listener. However, the research conversely also showed that sad music can bring up certain negative feelings of grief in certain people.
The research undertaken by these two universities involved three surveys in which over 2,500 people participated in Finland and the United Kingdom. The survey focused on what feelings these participants tend to associate with listening to sad songs.
The results of the survey found that while a majority of the participants report having positive experiences, there were some for whom listening to sad songs gave rise to feelings of profound grief.
Nevertheless, the majority of the positive experiences helped the researchers to find out how people can regulate their mood with the use of music, and they were also able to get more insight in how music therapy and music rehabilitation can help with the process of comfort, enjoyment, and relief. The study has also helped exerts identify reasons for listening to music and avoiding certain sad songs.
Meanwhile, a study conducted in 2013 and published in the Journal of Positive Psychology also found that listening to upbeat and joyful music helps improve a person’s mood and also boosts their level of happiness within just two weeks. It is known that happiness promotes better health, better relationships, and even helps a person get a higher income.
How Can Music Therapy Help?
Many research studies have shown that music therapy can help people in various ways. In fact, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) has reported that programs of music therapy have helped people achieve goals such as getting pain relief, boosting memory, and also helps in stress management. Research has also shown that music therapy helps people overcome and deal with physical pain even.
A study published in The Lancet in 2015 showed that participants who listened to music during, after, as well as before a surgery, experienced significantly less amount of pain and anxiety, as compared to participants who did not listen to music. In fact, the patients who listened to music actually required less amount of pain medication. This led the researchers to conclude that music is a cheaper, safer, and a non-invasive, technique for helping people undergoing a surgery.
Music therapy is also known to play a crucial role in the treatment of chronic conditions. A study published in the World Journal of Psychiatry has found that music therapy can be used for effective treatment mood disorders and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and even help prevent a stroke.
Several studies have also shown that music therapy helps lower depression and anxiety, and also helps in bringing about an overall improvement in self-esteem, mood, and the quality of life. No negative side effects were reported in any of these clinical trials, making music therapy a no-risk treatment for patients.
How Does Music Boost Your Mood?
Listening to music can also help boost your mood and has been shown to have great health benefits. It has been seen that music therapy can help people suffering from dementia. According to a research study done at the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI), in the United Kingdom, found that people suffering from dementia were able to learn new skills with the help of music therapy.
The study focused on either participant who had dementia and it was seen that music played by an orchestra had a positive effect on their overall life. They were able to learn new skills and were also able to have fun with the help of the study.
Conclusion
Over a period of many years, science has positively proven that music helps the brain in many ways. Music therapy has been shown to not only have a positive impact on our moods, but it also helps a person relax, increase your focus, and even gain motivation. This is why music has been shown to affect your emotions, your memory, your learning ability, and even your attention span.
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