With mental health becoming a more prevalent topic in today’s society, it should come as no surprise to learn that there are a wide variety of ways to both address and help your own mental health. These various ways can include therapy, talking with close friends or family, meditation, and so on. However, there is one way that isn’t often thought about: music. Music has some surprising benefits on your mental health. But what are the benefits of music on mental health, and how can we use it for ourselves?
Music can reduce stress
Is there something going on that has you stressed out? Try listening to music. Using music as a daily routine while you’re doing things can help reduce the amount of stress in your life. You can use it for things like cooking, cleaning, driving, and so on. There are a variety of musical forms that are known to help you relax. Studies have shown that those who listened to music tended to become destressed quicker than those who did not, following a stressful situation.
Music can help you sleep
As it was mentioned in the section above, music helps you relax. This can lead to helping you fall asleep easier when you’re ready to shut down for the night. As a matter of fact, not only does it help you fall asleep quicker, it can help improve the quality of your sleep. Finding some relaxing music, such as classical or lo-fi are great ways to help you get to sleep and stay asleep.
Music can motivate
Another interesting way music can help your mental health is its ability to motivate you. Whether it’s for working out or just getting yourself ready to take on the day, music’s motivation factor is quite useful. Sometimes we just need that extra push to get going, but it’s not always easy. Try using music to get yourself in the morning or while you’re working out. You may be surprised by the extra drive you feel.
Music can improve mood
This goes hand in hand with all of the above sections. Simply put, music can help improve your mood as a whole. Whether it’s for motivation, better sleep, reducing stress, or any other way you may feel the need to use it, your mood can improve from music.
The question then becomes, how do we use it? Well, the best advice we have to offer is this: create playlists for specific activities and moods. Create a playlist for working out, driving, cooking, cleaning, feeling down, stressed out, anxious, and any other mood. In addition, the three best ways to get the best benefits to your mental health from music is to do the following:
- Play it: learn an instrument and use it as a way to express how you’re feeling
- Listen to it: put your headphones on or turn on your speaker and just enjoy the sounds
- Write it: lyric/songwriting can be a great way to express yourself and help get any pent up emotions out of you and onto a piece of paper