If you’re like most people, you love music. Songs can make us smile, make us cry, or remind us of a favorite memory. Scientific studies have shown that listening to music has a real effect on different parts of the brain. Now, all that’s left to do is figure out what songs trigger what emotions.
Find What You Like
Different genres put us in different moods. A 2011 Canadian study published in Nature Neuroscience shows that listening to your favorite genre could help melt away a bad mood. While listening to genres that are pleasing to your brain, “musical chills” are stimulated, which trigger the release of the feel-good chemical called dopamine. By listening to a favorite song, you can turn your day around.
Match Your Music With Your Mood
People listen to music for all different reasons. Some people listen to certain songs in order to get energized, while others listen to music during a long car ride to keep them awake. Whatever the reason, different genres can reach different parts of your brain. Researchers at McGill University in Montreal showed that there are many elements in feelings of pleasure, and music is directly linked to inducing such feelings.
Focus
One of the great benefits of music is that it can help a person concentrate. A new method of concentration, called Ubrain, can help people focus and energize. Ubrain uses two different beats in each ear to create a third beat, which stimulates certain activity in the brain. Certain beats create different brain waves and can help a person de-stress.
Listen More, Move Faster
Listening to a certain type of genre can help you move faster. Upbeat music that stimulates your body increases endurance so that you can get things done more quickly. Find a song that matches the tempo of how fast you want your body to move. If you’re cleaning a room or even going through your morning routine, listen to an upbeat song to make yourself move faster.
Mental Health Musical
Music is a natural treatment for people dealing with mental health conditions because listening to music is a means of expression. People who have a hard time expressing themselves on a regular basis can use various songs as an outlet to articulate what it is they are feeling in a positive way.
What Music Matters?
It’s up to you to uncover your personal preference when it comes to music, but there are a few trends that are worth noting. While it’s obvious to use upbeat music for exercising and soothing music to relax, it’s important to take a look at your musical background. People who grew up with rock music tend to find classical music ineffective for their mood. However, those who dislike rock music consider classical music to be one of the most calming genres. Lastly, music triggers people’s memories, whether they are positive or negative. You can use certain songs to remind yourself of a favorite childhood recollection or to help yourself cope with a not-so-favorite memory.
Source:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/health-benefits-of-music.htm
Melanie Marzillo
Research & Community Education
