The Magic of Music
Music is powerful. It has the ability to calm us by bringing us comfort, cause us to reflect and relax or motivate us and invoke energy.
Life without music whether it be the melodies, the harmonies, or those fun beats, would not be the same. It would certainly be more difficult to cope with stress, anxiety and sadness. Research has shown that music has the ability to support our emotional, mental and physical health. It elevates and moves us.
Music has the ability to invoke so many emotions. The effect that music has on our emotions is tremendous. Music can open a floodgate of tears or release bursts of both energy and laughter.
Did you know that listening to your favorite song causes the release of dopamine? Dopamine released into the brain helps prevent depression. Everyone should have a playlist of their favorite upbeat songs that they can play whenever they are feeling down. Play the playlist, sing along and get up and dance to release endorphins, also known as the “happy hormones.”
Calm music is perfect when you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed and when your body and mind need to rest. It has been shown that when you listen to peaceful music, relaxation occurs by slowing your breathing, your heart rate and even lowering your blood pressure. Stress hormones are also greatly reduced.
Upbeat music will boost motivation and increase your energy. Most people use music when they exercise, whether it be indoors at a gym or running outside. Fast, upbeat music increases your heart rate and gives you energy.
Music improves our focus and our attention. It helps with memory and learning new things. It can actually boost mental performance when studying or working. Stimulating songs will power on your attention. Classical music has actually been found to increase a balanced, calm state of mind and improve learning. Music also has a profound effect on people with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Music can awaken a part of the brain and evoke responses such as moving and singing, even giving even a brief connection with their loved ones.
Music is like a Time Machine. It has the ability to take us back in time. We can revisit moments that we forgot, moments that we thought were lost forever. Listening to the same music that we listened to in the past creates associations in our brain. We immediately reconnect with the same emotions that we experienced so many years ago.
Music is universal and brings people together. Music is a language everyone understands no matter what language is spoken or where someone is from. It connects people at concerts, places of worship, parties and at clubs. Research has shown that music releases oxytocin, the “love hormone’ which allows us to feel empathy for others and brings us together.
Just like meditation, walking or being outdoors in nature, music improves our well-being. Music is a way to change our mood, evoke old memories and create powerful connections with others.
So dance, sing along and reap all of the benefits that music has to offer. Music is something that should not only be heard, it should be felt.