Almost everyone has a favorite song or album they listen to when they need to find comfort. As it turns out, that music may offer more than just feelings of comfort; it can affect you on a cognitive and physical level.
Music has the power to significantly impact your mood. Listening to the right song can help you reflect on your feelings and process emotions, on top of simply being a fun activity. Here are some other ways music can help you heal:
Mental healing
The emotional and cognitive health benefits that music brings can improve quality of life. Along with improving overall mood by decreasing symptoms of depression and lessening stress and anxiety, music can help your brain stay active.
Music activates regions of the brain that deal with emotion and memory. Hearing the song you used to sing with your childhood best friend could help you recall the memory of you singing together. This connection is also what makes musical intervention important for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Playing music related to a happy time for someone with Alzheimer's can reduce agitation, improve behavioral issues, and can awaken memories.
Music also helps caregivers and family members of those with Alzheimer’s feel less overwhelmed, decreases anxiety, and improves the connection between them and their patient/loved one.
Physical healing
Hearing a good song makes you want to move. Dancing is a tried-and-true form of physical activity that promotes balance and endurance and improves heart and lung condition. Working out while listening to fast, high-intensity music can also energize you and make you more motivated to exercise longer by distracting your attention away from exertion.
In four studies cited by Harvard Health Publishing, patients recovering in hospitals were less likely to feel anxious about their health, had lower blood pressure, and reported feeling less pain when they listened to peaceful music for a certain period.
Restful music can reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and improve blood flow. Listening to calming music at bedtime can relax your body and mind enough to improve the overall quality of sleep.
Music is everywhere. We hear it on the radio, on our phones, and in the street. While nearly everyone listens to some form of music daily, not all of us gain the mental and physical advantages that music can bring us. Here are a few ways to actively benefit from music:
- 1. Learn a new instrument to help with cognitive ability and fine-tune the brain as you age
- 2. Practice music meditation
- 3. Join a music therapy group or start it on your own
- 4. Listen to different genres to find out what type of music motivates you
Wellzesta
Wellzesta strives to provide users with resources to achieve peak mental and physical well-being. Wellzesta Life offers residents interested in healing through music the opportunity to form Groups with people who want to learn a new instrument or enjoy listening to music together.
If users want to practice music alone, they can track their progress in the “Individual Activities” portion of Events. This allows residents to not miss out on earning points for solo activities like music meditation or practicing a new instrument.
Click here to learn more about how Wellzesta can help your community.
