We’ve talked quite a lot about the benefits of music for both the body and the mind, with a somewhat bigger focus on the benefits that come with playing music. Many of you might be saying to yourselves, “I may not be able to play an instrument, or carry a tune, but I love music too. Are there no big mental health benefits for the rest of us?” Well, as I touched on before, the benefits of listening to music, as opposed to playing it, are different, but no less important to everyday mental health. Making music a part of your everyday routine is a simple way to brighten your mood and take a “time-out” from the rush and hurry of life. Today we’ll look at some information on how to make the most of the connection between some of the basics of everyday mental well being and music.
Focus
As we touched on before, one of the most well known application of music for mental health is its ability to help us focus. Music with a tempo of 60-80 beats per minute (bpm) increases the brain’s information processing efficiency. Classical music is especially effective because it usually doesn’t have any lyrics to distract the mind. This works best for students, but anyone with a job that requires focus can use this little trick. Here is a link to a YouTube playlist of 60 bpm classical pieces, including some Vivaldi and Bach, to get you started.
Self-Expression
Not everyone was born with a silver tongue, or magical hands that turn clay into sculptures, or graphite markings on a page into a beautiful face. Sometimes finding a way to express how you’re feeling inside can be difficult. Music can be an excellent alternative. For those that have the ability to create music, it doesn’t have to be much; lyrics scribbled on a napkin, a unique riff clumsily strummed. The important part is how playing makes you feel, not how it sounds. Your music is your own and no one ever needs to hear it if you don’t want them to. But those that cannot, or have no interest in playing an instrument can also find self-expression through music. Emotions are universal among humans, and any emotion that you have ever felt has been felt by others before you. Many of those others have a talent for writing and/or performing music for others, and some of those have even made it big. Listening to others transform emotions we all experience into the magic of music can be extremely cathartic, and listening to a song describe something you are feeling, turning that song up, and belting out the lyrics can be a refreshing way to express one’s self.
Social Connections
As we talked about a few weeks ago, music has an amazing ability to bring people together. Regardless of whether it’s sharing your favourite music with your friends, or meeting people at a concert, music has an uncanny way of bringing us closer. Human contact and emotional connection are essential to proper mental health. As social creatures we thrive on contact with others, and music is the perfect vehicle for that contact. It encourages discussion, and more often than not, controversy, but the important part is its way of inspiring social interaction and connection with those experiencing it around us, be they friends, family, or just like-minded fans.
Creativity
One important, if often neglected, aspect of human mental health is creativity. There is some belief that when it comes to creativity, you either have it or you don’t. This is an idea that I disagree with whole heartedly. In my opinion, every single living person has the spark of creativity within them, it simply expresses itself differently. Some people can draw or sculpt, others can write in a language others see has only gibberish, but creates complex computer programs or websites. Some people write novels, or sonatas, others build computers from scratch, or organize information into meaningful and insightful ways. Regardless of where your creativity lies, listening to music helps to put your brain into a state that is more receptive to creativity. This imaginativeness can be an exemplary tool for improving your mood, feeling productive, getting through difficult emotional times, or simply killing boredom.
Relaxation
Anyone with children and/or a competitive, busy job can tell you that relaxation is an integral part of mental health and well being, and I’m sure it is no surprise to anyone reading this, music can help here too. It might not be the most startling of revelations, but it certainly bears repeating: music helps people relax. As I’m sure most (if not all) of you are aware, there is nothing quite like changing into more comfortable clothes, putting on just the right genre of music, and letting the day just roll off your back. Music, with its ephemeral, vicarious nature, allows us to just let all our worries and concerns melt away for the time being, giving us a short, but necessary vacation from the real world.
Motivation
Anyone who has every played on a sports team can testify to the motivational power of music. In locker rooms across the country, regardless of the sport or activity, athletes from the pros all the way down to the weekend warriors and youth leagues are pumping themselves up with powerful music right now, as I write this, and as you read it. Music has a way of sweeping us up in its excitement, motivating us to be just as powerful and forceful. But athletes are not the only ones that can benefit from music’s ability to motivate and empower. Political parties tend to pick a particular song for this purpose during election time, usually something with a message people can get behind and support. That being said, it doesn’t take an athlete or a potential president to reap this benefit of music. Next time you have to do a chore you don’t like, like vacuuming the house or doing the dishes, pop in your headphones, listen to your favourite band or genre, and have at it. I’m sure you’ll find it much easier, and more enjoyable than without the music.
Like everything in life, music doesn’t work the same for everyone. Every point I’ve made here today is a general statement that applies to the majority of people, but not necessarily everyone. Some people find music extremely valuable, something they can’t live without, while other just don’t care about it very much. If you’re part of the former group, then you already know about these benefits, even if they’ve never been expressly pointed out to you. You know what you’re doing, keep up the good work! But if you’re part of the latter group, my suggestion would be to give music a bit more of a fair chance. It might be able to enhance your day to day mood, while also letting you experience the real connection between music and mental health.
