When you talk about “health” with friends, in most cases, the focus is on physical, not mental health. There is nothing wrong with it. Except that it misses the bigger picture – mental health dictates your level of physical health.
Mental health refers to “cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being – it is all about how we think, feel and behave.” In short, it is the absence of mental disorders.
A sound mental health makes you who you are. And one essential component of mental health is “emotion regulation.”
Music and Mental Health
Emotion regulation is “the process by which people modify their emotions.” It can be done several ways but listening to music is the most pleasant, convenient and enjoyable.
This is not one of those wifey tales but backed by several studies. Music does affect emotions positively or negatively – depending on the music genre. If used properly, music is therapeutic. In fact, this finding gave rise to clinical music therapists – professionals who use evidence-based music interventions to accomplish individualized goals in a therapeutic environment.
Mental Health Benefits of Music
Unless you have music anhedonia, it is safe to say music complements your day. You are never far away from your favorite tunes. You have them all on your smartphone. They entertain you, give you pleasure. They also stimulate your brain to do things you never know or expect such as:
Improves focus:
Do you know why some offices have piped-in music? It is for this purpose.
Music with a tempo of 60 bpm (beats per minute) like classical music, for example, increases the brain’s information processing efficiency.
But keep the volume low and soft as a background of whatever you are doing.
Facilitates expression:
Ask any music artist what drove them to pursue their passion and the answer will be the same – a means of self-expression.
If your emotions are getting a grip on you and expressing yourself is impossible, sit before a piano and hit a few keys or pick a guitar and strum a few notes and start composing lyrics to a song.
Don’t worry how it comes out. Nobody has to hear it unless you want them to.
Increases creativity:
If you are stuck in a difficult project or problems in making your budget meet, try listening to different types of music and see what works best for you.
Studies show that listening to happy music may just be what you need to wiggle out of your problems.
Improves social connection:
If you spend a few minutes each day on Facebook, you will never miss seeing members sharing music albums – from the latest to the oldest. These little acts of thoughtfulness will not go unnoticed and very soon you too will be inclined to share some of your favorite tunes.
Music binds people together, regardless of culture, creed, race, sex or political inclination. It touches the soul and moves the body.
Increases motivation:
Do you know that in some competitive sports, the wearing of earplugs is not allowed? The reason? To prevent athletes to gain a competitive advantage over those who don’t.
Music energizes the body’s sympathetic nervous system. This, in turn, primes the body for action when faced with a challenge or excitement. It opens the airways, increases heart rate and gears the muscles for action.
If you are skeptic about his, go to any disco and you have proof aplenty.
Makes you relax:
There are about 16 music genres to make you relax – depending on your mood and your idea of relaxation.
No scientific breakthroughs or complicated studies are needed to back this up. But music loosens you up, makes you relax. It is kind of an aperitif for a wonderful evening of food, wine, and dance.
Music Genres Good for the Mental Health of Seniors:
Nobody’s stopping you from listening to hard rock or heavy metal but do it with caution. These types of music can irritate your eardrums, make your heart beat faster, and increase your blood pressure.
Face it, you are not as robust as before, so settle for something more subdued and suitable to your age like the following:
- Blues
- Classical
- Country
- Electronic (music performed using synthesizers and other electronic instruments)
- Folk
- Jazz
- New Age (chiefly instrumental music characterized by light melodic harmonies and sounds from the natural world intended to promote serenity.
- Reggae
You may either listen to them from your sound system or from your smartphone through earplugs.
To have a variation from the usual environment of home, watch choral concerts or full-man orchestra. There is something magical about watching live music. It evokes pleasant memories of the past and seeing the performers sway to the beat of their performance make you feel a part of the whole show, not just a spectator.
But these come far between, so to fill the gap and enjoy a wonderful evening of excellent company, good food, wine, and music, go to a bar near you that provides live band entertainment on weekends. These jaunts provide a good reason for having a change in environment.
CareLinx has a list of great hits for the elderly – from the 60s to 90s.
A millennial was overheard in describing the effects of music on her. She flushed:
“It’s indescribable how listening to a song can change everything. It’s said that a powerful enough song can even change your life. Music can even teach what humanity cannot always – how to be human, live, feel and love. I’d recommend to anyone that if things aren’t going right, and you don’t know what to do, just turn up some good music, and tune out for a few minutes before you attempt to figure everything out again.”
Music is ageless and it if has that kind of effect on the young, it can also have the same effect on old people like you and me.
And remember, “music is an amazing drug-free way to improve the quality of life for the elderly. It reduces stress, anxiety, and pain. It improves the immune system, helps memory and encourages exercise.”
Image: https://goo.gl/jrCwXB
~oOo~
