Do you have any favorite music artists? Music is a core part of many people’s everyday lives, and it can affect you in a lot of ways. High-energy songs with a good beat can make for great workout music, helping you maintain your physical health. It can help you feel whatever emotion you have tenfold—upbeat songs make you happier, slow ballads make you feel sadder, etc. But did you know that music can be a huge help to your mental health? Here are a few benefits you can get from listening to music.
Music builds community.
If you’re a music lover, you’ll always be surrounded with others who feel the same way. Music fans can find huge communities of like-minded people by looking for other fans of their favorite artist. If you’re a musician or singer yourself, there are communities filled with other talented people who would love to see what you can do. Plus, you can even get your own fans that will push you forward in your career!
So, how does this help your mental health? Well, humans are an inherently social species. We thrive on finding a sense of belonging and staying connected to the people around us. Loneliness can be brutal on our mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, and low-self esteem. Music can help you find a place filled with people who understand you and share your interests.
It can help you process your emotions.
As we said earlier, the right music can amplify your emotions. By letting yourself feel as you listen to music, you’re actually able to process them easier and come out the other side feeling better and stronger. In fact, using and creating music as an outlet for your emotions is one of the main aspects of music therapy. This type of therapy allows patients to process their emotions as they go through the creative process of making music.
Music can also speak up for you if you can’t. Sometimes it’s hard to explain your own feelings, as complicated and varied as they can be. This makes it harder to communicate when you need help. If there’s a particular song lyric that explains how you feel better, you can refer to it so that your loved ones can understand you better.
It can serve as a good distraction technique.
If you’re stuck in a scary or uncomfortable situation, you’d be surprised to find that music can help you through it. Music serves as a great distraction, allowing you to hold on easier until the situation has passed. You can use music to help you get through a dentist appointment, airplane turbulence, or any other situation that scares you.
Music is also a great grounding technique against anxiety attacks. The trick to getting through an anxiety attack is by paying attention to your senses. You can pay attention to what you can see, smell, feel, and of course, hear. Focusing on a song you like can help the anxiety attack pass much faster.