Good for the Heart and Soul

Here are some benefits to listening to music:

Makes you feel happier, lowers stress levels, lets you sleep better, reduces depression, increases learning memory, reduces pain, helps Altzheimers patients to remember things, increases recovery in stroke patients, raises academic performance, keeps brains healthy in old age.

This is a really valuable post. Thank you Sue. I think that with all the stresses in the world we need this message.

From the University of Maryland.

Listening to your favourite music may be good for your health. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have shown that the emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood-vessel function.
When subjects chose and listened to music that made them feel good, blood vessles dilated and blood flow increased. With stressful music, blood vessles narrowed and blood flow slowed.
The team had previously shown laughter was good for health, and wondered if emotions "such as those evoked by music have a similar effect," says lead investigator Dr. Michael Miller.
Results were presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association.

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Thank you for the valuable information Sue.

I love this post.

Thank you again Sue, and thank you Inda for bringing back this topic.

Thank you Sue.

Soft music really relaxes me, especially if I am under stress, and it helps me to sleep better when I listen to soothing music just before going to bed.

Listening to your favourite music may be good for your health.

Thank you again for this lovely post Sue.

Excellent post Sue.

Thank you for sharing all this information, and thank you all for your input.

Music can improve mood, decrease pain and anxiety, and facilitate opportunities for emotional expression. Research suggests that music can benefit our physical and mental health in numerous ways. Music therapy is used by our hospice and palliative care board-certified music therapist to enhance conventional treatment for a variety of illnesses and disease processes – from anxiety, depression and stress, to the management of pain and enhancement of functioning after degenerative neurologic disorders.

• It’s heart healthy. Research has shown that blood flows more easily when music is played. It can also reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increase serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood.
• It elevates mood. Music can boost the brain’s production of the hormone dopamine. This increased dopamine production helps relieve feelings of anxiety and depression. Music is processed directly by the amygdala, which is the part of the brain involved in mood and emotions.
• It reduces stress. Research has found that listening to music can relieve stress by triggering biochemical stress reducers.
• It relieves symptoms of depression. When you’re feeling down in the dumps, music can help pick you up - much like exercise.
• It stimulates memories. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia but music therapy has been shown to relieve some of its symptoms. Music therapy can relax an agitated patient, improve the mood and open communication in patients.
• It manages pain. By reducing stress levels and providing a strong competing stimulus to the pain signals that enter the brain, music therapy can assist in pain management.
• It eases pain. Music can meaningfully reduce the perceived intensity of pain, especially in geriatric care, intensive care or palliative medicine.
• It helps people eat less. Playing soft music in the background (and dimming the lights) during a meal can help people slow down while eating and ultimately consume less food in one sitting.
• It increases workout endurance. Listening to those top workout tracks can boost physical performance and increase endurance during a tough exercise session.

https://www.northshore.org/hea...h-benefits-of-music/

Listening to your favourite music may be good for your health. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have shown that the emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood-vessel function.
When subjects chose and listened to music that made them feel good, blood vessles dilated and blood flow increased. With stressful music, blood vessles narrowed and blood flow slowed.
The team had previously shown laughter was good for health, and wondered if emotions "such as those evoked by music have a similar effect," says lead investigator Dr. Michael Miller.
Results were presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association.

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Thank you again Sue.

I agree with this totally. When I am tired and stressed out I put on some soft and soothing music and I feel much better and more relaxed very soon.

Great post. Thank you Sue. Soft music is very soothing when you are all stressed out and had a very hard day at work.