“Music therapists assist individuals in coping with life’s challenges using music. Music improves mood, regulates, and distracts them from problems.”
Image: A woman listening to music in her headset
These feelings are not just in your head. When listening to enjoyable music, recent research has shown that brain areas linked to emotion and reward are more active. One of the main ways that music elicits a strong emotional reaction in listeners is thought to be the unexpected shift in musical feature strength and pace, which increases tension and expectation.
The Science Behind Music and Mood
Songs may have a significant impact on our moods and emotions. Science supports this impact, rather than being only anecdotal. The pleasure regions of the brain, particularly those related to emotion and reward, are activated while one is listening to pleasant songs. Neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which are known to enhance emotions of pleasure and wellbeing, are released as a result of this activation.
However, there hasn’t been much research done on whether these musical elements correlate with key indicators of emotional reaction. In this study, 18 participants (12 females, 6 males; ages 18 to 38) continuously provided subjective and physiological measures of experienced emotion while listening to four stimuli in a counterbalanced order: pleasant songs, unpleasant songs (dissonant manipulations of their own songs), neutral songs, and no songs. Every stimulus was shown twice; during the first presentation, electroencephalograph (EEG) data were gathered, and during the second presentation, subjects constantly provided their subjective ratings of the stimuli.
When frontal asymmetry (FA) indices were calculated from frontal and temporal locations, peak times of left-biased bias were found across the sample. This is a sign of a shift toward positive effects. In order to determine the time of the beginning of important elements, the songs were also evaluated. Participants assessed their choice of songs as very positive, their music selection as bad, and their neutral songs and quiet as neither positive nor negative, according to subjective ratings of emotional experience averaged throughout the condition. The frontal electrode pair FC3–FC4 showed significant impacts in FA, and the reaction to enjoyable songs was associated with the largest rise in left bias from baseline.
Benefits of Listening to Music
- Reduction of Stress
- Through a reduction in cortisol levels, songs might lessen stress. Calm songs are the ideal accompaniment for relaxing since they lower anxiety and slow the pulse rate.
- Enhanced Mental Well-Being
- Song therapy may help reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms by providing a comforting emotional release.
- Improved Mental Abilities
- Background songs, particularly instrumental or classical songs, which enhance cognitive abilities including memory and concentration, may help people focus on activities.
- Improved Quality of Sleep
- Soothing songs shorten the time it takes to fall asleep while also promoting relaxation and better sleep quality.
These outcomes agree with the conclusions of earlier studies. Peak FA responses at this location were also found to happen at the same time as important song events that involve change, like the start of a new theme, a change in instruments, or a change in low-level acoustic elements like pitch, texture, or dynamics. These results provide factual credence to the theory that basic alterations in song elements serve as a primary catalyst for listeners’ emotional reactions.
- Katrina Skewes McFerran, a song therapist and University of Melbourne lecturer, analyzes how songs affect her clients’ emotions.
- In order for songs to change your mood, you must be aware of which songs make you feel wistful, whimsical, melancholic, optimistic, or nostalgic.
- Ms. Bradman believes we regulate emotions better when we can be more granular with representing how we are feeling.
- Not everyone can use this shortcut. Professor McFerran believes playing joyful songs while unhappy or stressed won’t help immediately. “Songs don’t work like magic,” she adds.
- Instead, Professor McFerran employs the Iso-Principle with clients. A depressed individual may start with sorrowful songs to legitimize their sadness. Instead of despair, people might use songs to experience hopefulness or acceptance.
- A secure emotional base. Song interactions and emotions are nuanced and individualized, according to Dr. Garrido and Professor McFerran.
- Dr. Garrido had two volunteers listen to identical songs and respond. Their breakup was recent. “They journaled their ideas… Doctor Garrido claims one individual felt positive after listening to Adele’s break-up song, while the other felt despairing.
Professor McFerran adds that factors other than songs may influence moods. For some people, it’s going to be song listening, but for others, it might be playing or singing. Ms. Bradman recommends utilizing songs to improve mood, regardless of how you like it: “Songs may provide a safe space for emotions. Songs give us a soundtrack to our emotions and help us understand them.
Songs seem safer, less unsure, and less intangible when assigned emotions. From there, we can make space for the emotion, allow it, process it, and move beyond it, she concludes. Katrina Skewes McFerran, a song therapist and professor at the University of Melbourne, has been researching the effects of songs on her patients’ emotions.
In Image: Disc Music Player
- When you want to alter your mood, you need to be conscious of the songs that make you feel wistful, whimsical, melancholy, hopeful, or nostalgic. Only then can songs really affect your mood.
- Ms. Bradman is of the opinion that we are better able to control our feelings when we are able to be more specific in our representation of how we are feeling.
- Taking this shortcut is not possible for everyone. According to Professor McFerran, listening to upbeat songs while experiencing negative emotions or stress would not provide quick relief. As a result, she continues, “Songs do not work like magic.”
- When it comes to dealing with clients, Professor McFerran uses the Iso-Principle instead. The first step is to choose songs that are in tune with the disposition of the person you are working with. After that, you progressively go closer to the disposition that you are looking for by selecting songs from a variety of genres.
- To validate their feelings of melancholy, a person who is depressed could begin by listening to songs that are gloomy. For some individuals, listening to songs may help them feel more optimistic or accepting of themselves and their circumstances.
An emotionally stable foundation. The interactions and emotions that songs evoke are complex and particular to each person, according to Dr. Garrido and Professor McFerran’s findings.
Useful Advice on How to Use Music to Improve Your Mood
- Make Playlists to Fit Various Emotions
- Making music selections that correspond with various emotional states may be an effective strategy for controlling mood. Make a cheerful playlist for inspiration, a relaxing music playlist for unwinding, and a classical playlist for focus, for instance. Having these playlists ready may help you find the correct music more easily when you need it.
- Include Music in Your Everyday Activities
- Include music in your everyday routine. Play soothing music to decompress during your commute, listen to uplifting music in the morning to get your day going, and wind down with soothing music before bed. Including music in your everyday routine may improve your general well-being and add enjoyment to monotonous chores.
- Investigate New Genres
- Investigate new genres and artists without fear. Increasing the variety of music you listen to may expose you to new sounds and sensations that will lift your spirits. Experimenting with various genres of music may help keep your listening experience interesting and novel.
- Employ Music as a Healing Instrument
- Play your favorite music for a while if you’re feeling down or anxious. When things are tough, music may be a comfort and an emotional release. Music may aid in the processing and release of emotions, whether you’re dancing to a lively song or thinking quietly to a melancholy piece.
- In order to get the same response from two participants, Dr. Garrido had them listen to the same music. Their relationship ended not too long ago. “They journaled their thoughts. According to Doctor Garrido, one person had a pleasant reaction after listening to Adele’s song about breaking up, while the other person experienced a negative reaction.
In addition to music, Professor McFerran asserts that a variety of other factors can affect emotions. Listening to songs is likely to be the activity of choice for some individuals, while others may want to play an instrument or sing.
Regardless of how you feel about music, Ms. Bradman suggests that you listen to it in order to boost your mood. She says, “Music may provide a safe space for emotions. “Listening to music provides us with a soundtrack to our feelings and assists us in comprehending them.
When emotions are attached to songs, they begin to seem more secure, less uncertain, and less intangible. The conclusion that she draws is that from that point on, we are able to create room for the feeling, let it, process it, and go beyond it.
Final Thoughts
“Music is a potent instrument that has the potential to profoundly influence our emotions and general well-being. By comprehending the impact of various types of music on our mood and integrating them into our daily routines, we can leverage the power of music to enhance our mental health, alleviate tension, and enhance our overall well-being. Therefore, the next time you are experiencing a sense of melancholy, turn on your preferred music and allow it to work its charm.”