Musical health: The surprising benefits of putting on your favourite tunes

Music is one of life’s simple pleasures. It’s also powerful, proven to boost your wellbeing and make you happier, smarter, and more productive.

Whether you’re playing or listening, a musical interlude is an easy way to switch off from the world and immerse yourself in some soothing sounds. Equally, lively music can be great if you’re feeling more energetic, while slower, more melancholic tunes can be nostalgic or evocative.

However you’re feeling, there’s music to match your mood. Read on to discover seven ways the simple act of playing your favourite tunes can support your mental health and improve your overall quality of life.

Music is good for your brain, your wellbeing, and your physical health

When you listen to music, it’s likely to be in the background while you’re doing some other tasks, such as cleaning or driving. You probably don’t switch it on with the sole intention of improving your brain health.

But that’s exactly what you’re doing. According to Be Brain Fit, research has found that music can activate every part of your brain.

And, since we listen to an average of 32 hours of music a week, this is plenty of time to reap some of the many benefits.

1. Boosts your feel-good hormones

When you listen to music, you increase your dopamine levels. This hormone is linked to motivation and is released as a response to pleasurable activities.

Want to increase your dopamine levels even further? Put your playlist on shuffle, or listen to an old favourite, for an added boost.

Music can also have a positive effect on your oxytocin levels. This hormone, responsible for trust and social behaviours, can be stimulated by playing or listening to music with others.

Not only can music lift your feel-good hormones, but it can also reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. In turn, this can boost your immune system, increase your resilience, and give you a sense of calm and wellbeing.

2. Acts as pain relief

According to the Guardian, research has found that listening to your favourite music can be an effective form of pain relief.

Studies show that playing your preferred tunes could reduce pain by one point on a 10-point scale, around the same amount as an over-the-counter pain reliever.

3. Brings people and communities together

Music is one of the most ancient forms of communication and social bonding, and still highly relevant in these areas today.

It can bring people together through a shared love of similar music, promoting a strong sense of camaraderie, whether in a community choir, an intimate gig, a classical concert, or a huge arena.

4. Helps you be more productive and creative

Listening to music as you work can boost creativity, Improve productivity and accuracy, and make repetitive tasks easier and faster.

Be Brain Fit found this to be the case even under high-pressure situations. Surgeons listening to their chosen music are less stressed and more precise during operations, while athletes are less likely to buckle under pressure if they listen to music before a game.

5. Improves your mood and reduces anxiety

The brain stimulation caused by music can reduce anxiety and improve your mood. Harvard Health Publishing reports finding that musical interventions – listening to music, singing, and music therapy – can create significant improvements in mental health.

6. Can bring benefits at any time in your life

Even if you’ve discovered a love of music later in life, you can still gain significant benefits from its positive impacts.

Whether you play an instrument, sing, dance, or listen, you’ll support your cognitive health and experience fewer memory problems. Plus, it’s a great way to increase your social connections in retirement and later life.

7. Helps you fall asleep faster

As well as helping to lift your spirits and boost energy, music can also have a soothing effect that promotes better sleep.

According to the Sleep Foundation, playing music could help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality. They recommend choosing music of 60-80 beats per minute (BPM). Your resting heart rate is usually 60-100 BPM, and it’s believed that your body can synchronise with the slower music.