Music is often called a universal language. It’s something that almost every culture shares, and for that reason, most people enjoy playing or listening to music. And while you might think music is good for concerts and background noise alone, it’s actually beneficial for so many more reasons. Here are some of our favorite music hacks, guaranteed to make your life easier and happier. Consider putting some tunes on before reading this article. Who knows? You might discover some hacks of your own along the way.
1. Music makes you smarter.
This is a pretty old concept, and while it’s been tested and retested many times over the years, some of it really is true. Playing music or having some kind of music education has been proven to improve math scores in younger students. For you songbirds out there, singing does fall into the category of “playing music,” so you’re just as likely to benefit as cellists and saxophonists. Other studies have looked into how music affects performance in other areas, such as verbal and science skills, as well as if musicians are overall “smarter” people. This is more of a gray area, and many people disagree on the validity of these claims.
2. Music can help you have a better workout.
Not only does music help motivate exercisers, but it’s been shown to help people take on more intense workouts. According to some, the ideal BPM (beats per minute) is around 130, give or take a few beats. People who listen to music while exercising are shown to work harder and for longer. Next time you decide to lace up your running shoes, try to listen to a playlist that gets you pumped up. You’ll have a better, happier workout because of it.
3. Music can reduce stress.
If you’re feeling overworked, anxious, or tense, listening to music might be a good way to calm down and relax. There has been a substantial amount of research done on the soothing powers of music. It shows that not only does music distract us from our problems, but it can also help us get in touch with emotions that might be harder to explore without music. Sometimes, these benefits can be seen through changes in blood pressure and heart rate, especially when listening to calming music.
4. Music makes people happy.
There’s nothing as basic as happiness. Music has been shown time and time again to increase humans’ happiness, both when listening to it and playing it. According to this study, the brain releases dopamine when music is heard. This is the same chemical that is released when we eat food and have sex. It’s an addiction chemical, meaning we always want more of it. This is part of the reason that music makes us so happy so often. What’s really interesting is that this happiness that comes from music is very global, meaning there is virtually no one who doesn’t share your same love of music — even if the genres are different.
5. Music helps you sleep.
Listening to music may help you go to sleep and stay asleep. According to the BBC, listening to music before going to bed may help you go to sleep. Calming music, particularly instrumental music, may help you get in a bedtime frame of mind. This same study as reported by the BBC states that people who listened to calming, slower music before going to bed were also able to stay asleep more soundly. Additionally, they were able to perform better throughout the following day. We all know how important a good night’s sleep is, so consider listening to some soothing classical or jazz music before hitting the sheets tonight. You might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Featured photo credit: Chris JL via flickr.com
