While the misconception that music makes you smarter has been debunked, there is another astonishing discovery that researchers have made: it decreases stress and increases your enjoyment to potentially amplify your focus and test scores. In essence, listening to preferred genres such as classical, rock, or even Christian instrumental worship gives us good vibes simply because it soothes our stressful feelings.
Amazing, right? Music therapy doesn’t seem like a far-fetched idea now, but more of a natural, valid method of causing our bodies to heal through the power of song. But before you start a Spotify subscription and play your favorite artists all day long, do you wonder how exactly it happens?
These five ways should answer all your questions:
Music Brings Down Stress and Anxiety
Research has proven that music – regardless of genres like classical or Christian instrumental worship – with slow tempos eases people’s moods and calms them down. These are because our heartbeats respond to the beats per minute (bpm). The slower the rhythm, the slower your heart rate drops, hence the calming effect on your body.
Music Energizes
On the flipside, upbeat, fast-tempo music increases one’s heart rate and pumps up the body for a stress-busting workout session. An increased heart rate while exercising is crucial. It signals your body to take in more oxygen and fuel your exercise.
Since it’s already proven to decrease stress levels while boosting our feeling of enjoyment, you’ll end up more focused and into your physical activity instead of looking at your watch constantly to finish the rep or set.
Music Minimizes Pain
Another possible reason we’re dead serious in our workout routine when blasting music in our earphones is its ability to contribute to pain management.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information conducted a study where spine surgery patients were commanded to listen to their preferred music genre before, during, and after the procedure. Then, they were compared to another control group who were also due for surgery but did not listen to any music whatsoever.
The results were mind-boggling: the group who listened to music reported a significant reduction of pain symptoms post-surgery compared to those who did not listen to any music.
Music Could Boost Immunity
Our body’s first defense against infections is the immune system, which sends out the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) to combat the foreign bodies.
Listening to music, like the genre Christian instrumental worship, could raise your body’s immune system response! Researchers in 2013 documented how exposing human subjects to different genres—such as Christian instrumental worship music, for example—regularly naturally increased the body’s production of IgA and killer cells, which made the immune system more effective in combating viruses!
Music Improves Sleep Quality
Music calms and energizes us, so it should be no surprise that it also puts us to bed effectively, too! Aside from soothing our emotions, listening to songs relaxes our autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for controlling automatic or unconscious thoughts.
When your body hears music being played, parts of the autonomic nervous system relax as well. This response causes our breathing to slow down, heart rate to stabilize, blood pressure to drop, eyes to close, and our bodies to drift away into Neverland.
When looking for songs that improve sleep quality, opt for playlists with calming nature sounds or even Christian instrumental worship music.
The Final Note
Now you know the full power of music therapy, it’s time to keep that Spotify playlist on from the moment you wake up ‘til you go to bed. Vary the genres throughout the day depending on the mood and need so you have the right energy levels at the right times.
Look for some Christian instrumental worship music that’ll keep your mind off stress and remind you of the real Reason for the season? Check out Prayer Pray now! Our website contains must-hear albums of soothing instrumental music that sound just like heaven!
