The Benefits of Listening to Music

Photo by Malte Wingen on Unsplash

There are several mental health benefits of listening to music including helping people feel happier and helping them feel motivated.

Studies showed that participants feel happier after listening to music. In Thomas Schafer’s, Peter Sedlmeier’s, Christine Stadtlet’s and David Huron’s research they found that “people listen to music to regulate arousal and mood, to achieve self-awareness, and as an expression of social relatedness.” Participants’ responses included, “music helps me think about myself, music conveys feelings, music makes me believe I’m better able to cope with my worries, music gives comfort to me when I’m sad and music adds meaning to my life.” I can relate to these responses.

I listen to music a lot, and it helps me cope with my anxiety. One song I listened to when I was going through a rough time in my life was “In my Blood” by Shawn Mendes. In the song, Shawn Mendes sings about how he is struggling, but he is not going to give up. I liked this song because it was inspiring and relatable.

I like listening to songs that are relatable to situations in my own life because it helps me feel validated and less alone. Another song I really like listening to is “Real World” by Matchbox Twenty. One of the lyrics in the chorus of “Real World” is “I wish the real world would just stop hassling me.” I like listening to this song especially when I am stressed out. It is relatable, and I feel that I am not the only one who feels overwhelmed in life.

Listening to music can also help people when they are exercising. In the article, “How Listening to Music Can Have Psychological Benefits,” Cherry said, “…research shows that listening to fast-paced music not only causes exercisers to work harder during their workouts; they also enjoy the music more.” I am glad that listening to music can help people work out because there are also mental health and physical health benefits to exercising. Exercise releases endorphins which are chemicals in the brain that help people feel happy. I do not work out a lot but when I do workout, I really like listening to music. It is easier for me to get exercise if I am listening to music because it provides me with a source of entertainment.

Music also helps me with everyday tasks. I sometimes have the tendency to procrastinate a lot so I will listen to music when do things such as going to bed to get sleep and taking a shower.