There’s been a long debate as to whether or not listening to music helps you improve what you’re doing or is merely a distraction. As the medical research on this topic deepens, so does the evidence that the kids in school begging to turn the radio on were right all along. Music is shown to have a positive effect on grades and produce positive emotional and physical effects as well. It’s the unconscious mind at work.

We go through various emotional phases throughout the day. The music we listen to varies according to the mood that we’re in. The right song can cheer us up, break us down, or start a mosh pit. Sometimes it’s the song in it’s entirety that gets us going and at other times just the tune can spark the imagination and the emotions like nothing else. Music with energy encourages us to work faster and harder, increasing our output potential. Strong, steady beats can increase perseverance, boost determination, increase motivation and distract us from discomfort and agitation.

Music affects us. It can be measured as we see it affect our mind and body. For an anatomy lesson, music coming into the ears causes neurons to fire throughout the brain. These affect the brain wave frequencies and as a result, our autonomous nervous system is affected. Our heart rate, muscular activity, blood pressure, and other functions are all slightly shifted by our reaction to the music. An experiment done with elementary school children showed that motor skills improved among those who threw and caught balls while listening to music versus when there was no music. Another test has shown that when running, those listening to enjoyable music were able to run 15% further than when there was no music.

Those dealing with chronic pain might want to consider musical therapy. According to a paper in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, music can reduce chronic pain by up to 21%. The study consisted of 60 patients participating in a controlled clinical trial and was subdivided into two groups – those with music and those with no music. Of course, as with any change in health-related routine, check with your doctor first. If surgery is an option, listen to all the music you want. It may help ease and quicken your recovery! For those seeking recovery from addictions of all sorts, from drinking and drug use to depression, music therapy is a option gaining popularity and demonstrating positive results. Try channeling these addictions through musical outlets.

The bottom line is that we see a pattern in all of these examples. Music is helpful. It inspires creativity, helps us focus, improves skills and can speed up recoveries. It’s therapeutic on many different levels. Whatever challenge you routinely encounter, try using different types of music and see what kind of results you get with and without it. Who knows how it could work for you!
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Additional articles you might enjoy:

The Health Benefits of Listening to Music
Listening to Music Helps Students Be More Productive In the Classroom
Music – What Are You Listening To?