Listening to music is one way to be entertained—it’s an excellent way to pass the time and have something in the background while you’re working or doing chores at home. However, some researchers believe that because music gives pleasure, it can come with numerous psychological benefits.
Music has the power to influence a person’s mood, energize the body, and even help you manage your pain. This is why music therapy is a common method that mental health experts use to help their patients cope with life’s stresses.
In this article, you will learn more about four particular psychological benefits you can enjoy through listening to music.
Music Can Improve Your Cognitive Function
According to research, listening to music can help the mind focus on the task at hand. When you have music playing in the background, it can help your mind concentrate on your primary activity and improve your performance on cognitive tasks.
Moreover, playing more upbeat music can also enhance a person’s processing speed, and a combination of up and down beats can help improve memory. However, it is best to listen to instrumental music for deep focus because lyrics can pull the mind away from the task.
Music Can Help You Manage Stress
Listening to music is also a good way to handle stress. Meditative music, in particular, helps in inducing relaxation to the mind and soothing the stress away.
In fact, a study done in 2013 has provided evidence of this claim. Participants in a study were grouped into three and exposed to stress. The first group was given relaxing music, while the second was given the sound of rippling water. The final group, however, didn’t get music exposure at all. At the end of the study, those who listened to music recovered from stress quickly compared to those who didn’t have music in the room.
Music Can Aid You in Weight Management
An unexpected benefit of listening to music is that a study has shown that people eat less when the right type of music is playing. It turns out that simple mood music and dim lights can lead to less food intake.
In the study, people who ate at dim locations while soft music played consumed 18 percent less food than those in other settings. According to the researchers, since people feel more relaxed, they eat their food more slowly and feel full even if they haven’t eaten too much.
Music Can Enhance Your Memory
For those who have to study or memorize a lot of new terms and concepts for school or work, music has been deemed to improve their memory. However, this can still be influenced by many factors. Music can help people focus if they listen to a certain type of music they enjoy, especially if they are musically inclined.
Some say that listening to positive music elicits more positive emotions for them. Others feel like since they love music so much, music distracts them and limits them from paying attention better. If you’re that kind of person, you might be better off with silence or instrumental sounds.
Final Thoughts
Music offers amazing effects, and the extent of its power to the psyche can be surprising. Music influences our thoughts, feelings, and moods, so it’s no surprise that we can use music to make us feel happier, more positive, and generally better.
If you are looking for relaxing music you can use to soothe your worries away, check out Prayer Pray today. We are home to heavenly instrumentals you can use as prayer and meditation music for studying, relaxation, and personal quiet time. Listen to our various offerings on the site today.
