Music is an essential part of life that is a great source of entertainment for very many people. However, music also plays another integral role – substantially affecting mental wellness through how it can regulate stress, helps understand and communicate a person’s emotions, and reduces depression and depressive feelings.

First, listening to music has been proven to lessen individual stress levels. For a long time, suggestions have shown that music can calm people down and reduce stress. Research has proven that this fact is true, with listening to music eliciting the effect of bringing people’s stress levels down and helping them cope. A 2013 study revealed that music had a considerable impact on the autonomic nervous system and thus aided people to recover faster from a stressor (Cherry). Accordingly, the ability to manage stress leads to better mental health outcomes for individuals.

Secondly, music can help an individual feel their feelings and make it easier for them to express their emotions, which helps with mental wellness. Suggestions show that listening to music can help an individual understand the emotions they are feeling and, in the end, helps them communicate or express these emotions in a much better way. The ability to feel, understand, and communicate one’s emotions positively connects to mental wellness (Frost).

Lastly, listening to music can help with feelings of sadness and depression. Depression is a significant contributor to unfavorable mental wellness outcomes. Listening to music can trigger the release of Dopamine, a feel-good hormone that acts on the brain and makes a person feel good and peaceful. Listening to music, attending concerts, and going out dancing can improve a person’s social interaction, ultimately aiding mental wellness (Adler). Therefore, it is vital to encourage listening to music for all to promote mental wellness in society.

References

Adler, Sarah Elizabeth. “Music Can Be a Great Mood Booster.” AARP, 30 June 2020, www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2020/music-mental-health.html.

Cherry, Kendra. “How Listening to Music Can Have Psychological Benefits.” Verywell Mind, 3 Sept. 2022, www.verywellmind.com/surprising-psychological-benefits-of-music-4126866#:~:text=Music%20Can%20Improve%20Mood&text=Participants%20rated%20music’s%20ability%20to,an%20impact%20within%20two%20weeks.

Frost, Alexandra. “How Music Can Improve Your Mental Health.” The Jed Foundation, 12 May 2023, jedfoundation.org/resource/how-music-can-improve-your-mental-health/.