Benefits of Music on Mental Health
Most people listen to music in their daily life. It helps us to get through the day, fill the silence, and can provide an escape from reality when needed. Music is a universal language that communicates emotions, forms connections, and tells the stories of cultures and individuals throughout time. Music has existed since the beginning of time which has been proven through musical artifacts found by archaeologists.
Archaeologists were able to identify the oldest completed musical composition dating back to the first century A.D. in Turkey. “Seikilos Epitaph” was found as a marker for a woman’s gravesite. Researchers were able to identify “Seikilos Epitaph” as a song because it included musical notations along with the lyrics depicting grief (Andrews, 2023). Music has been a way for humans to express and make sense of their painful emotions since the start of humanity.
In more recent years, studies have shown the role music plays in our mental and physical health. Although humans do not depend on music for survival, research shows that music activates the parts of our brain responsible for reward and emotions, similar to the way our brain responds to food or sex. (Blood & Zatorre, 2001). More specifically, the use of music in the treatment of persons with a medical issue has proven effective in helping the individual both physiologically and psychologically. In a study done on people with coronary heart disease, it was found that music interventions assisted in reducing stress and anxiety, in addition to improving heart and respiratory rate (Bradt, Dileo, & Potvin, 2013).
One of the biggest problems we are currently facing is burnout. Burnout from work, burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout from any number of sources. Because so many people are suffering from stress and burnout, the problem has become how to combat these stressors. A recent study of operating room staff showed implementing music interventions significantly decreased stress levels improving heart rate, blood pressure, and high levels of cortisol (Kacem et. al, 2020).
Now with all the information on music, how do we apply it to our individual needs and emotional well-being? There are a variety of ways to incorporate music into our lives. Here are some suggestions:
Learning to play a musical instrument
Singing by yourself or with others
Going to a live musical event
Creating a calming playlist
Creating a playlist for the mood you want to be in
For those in therapy or considering therapy, creating a “soundtrack” of your life to help communicate emotions that can be difficult to express on your own
Use music instead of a timer
Dance to music
Resources:
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the-oldest-known-piece-of-music
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.191355898
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24374731/#:~:text=Authors'%20conclusions%3A%20This%20
systematic%20review,which%20music%20to%20listen%20to.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7448868/pdf/ZLJM_15_1768024.pdf
