“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain”
– Bob Marley
Discover how music can be used to boost your creativity, improve your mood and help you unwind as we continue our celebration of Music Month. This blog is focusing on the brilliantly diverse range of ways music can have a positive influence on our daily lives.
I don’t know about you, but I have a playlist for just about everything. I have a motivational playlist, a chill-out playlist, and even a playlist for the days I just don’t like the world. More often than not, we use music as a tool to improve our mood. Whether we want to feel happier, get excited about something or just switch off after a hard day.
But why is it that so many of us turn to music to help us feel a certain way? And if music can improve our mood, is it capable of helping us in other ways, too? The short answer, as we go on to discuss, is yes.
With Mental Health Awareness Week taking place from 14th – 20th May, it’s the perfect time to explore just how powerful music can be.
How does music affect our emotions?
In a fast-paced creative world, it’s important to have some form of escape after a hectic day. For many people, music offers exactly that. It can be used to reduce elevated heart rates, or to simply uplift your mood. Here’s how it does it…
Music resonates with the brain structures responsible for emotion, reward and motivation. When you hear a song, a number of physical processes are triggered, such as an increase in chemicals like dopamine.
When we listen to music, our brains automatically start to search for any links we have, including memories. If it makes a connection, the emotion you feel is almost pre-determined as it’ll bring back the feelings from the memory. If it can’t, then the music is already communicating with the brain to create an emotional response.
Music is capable of drawing out a person’s deepest emotions. It can help us process some of the hardest, most complex aspects of life, including grief, sadness, anger or fear.
Is one type of music more beneficial than another?
As with most things in life, some are better for you than others, and music is no exception. There are some genres or musical styles that, although you might enjoy them, are a big distraction for your brain. But it really all depends on what your desired outcome from the music is. As our focus is on mental health, here’s a quick round-up of the best music for relaxation, elevating your mood and getting your creativity flowing.
To switch off and relax
Studies show that our heart rates can sync up to the speed of the music. If we listen to music with a tempo of around 60 beats per minute, it can cause the brain to synchronize with the beat causing ‘alpha brainwaves’. These alpha brainwaves are present when we’re relaxed and conscious.
Whether you prefer a slow, quiet classical piece or the soothing sounds of a rainforest, a slower tempo can quiet your mind and relax your muscles. It can make you feel soothed and help to release and remove your mind from the stresses of the day.
To improve your mood
In stark contrast to relaxation music, upbeat music can make you feel more optimistic and positive. But there’s more to it than just choosing an upbeat song.
Although music can communicate emotions to you, to really feel that emotion the song needs to mean something to you. One brilliant example of a song that communicates happiness is ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. It’s upbeat, in a major key and you can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s actually ‘happy’.
But to really feel that happiness, it’s best to choose a song that provokes a specific emotional response in you. Pick a song that brings back happy memories, or that reminds you of someone who makes you feel good. A song that you can’t help but sing along to because, you may not know this, but singing has also been proven to lift your mood!
Check out our Feel Good playlist for a little boost today >
To boost creativity
While music with a faster tempo has been proven to help you feel more alert and improve concentration research shows that ambient noise is perfect for boosting creative thinking.
I’m pretty sure all of us have popped our headphones in at some point or another to power through a challenging stats report or finish an essay. Well, it turns out that despite the music drowning out what you consider to be ‘distracting background noise’, it’s likely made you less productive! If the music you listen to is too loud or too fast-paced, it actually becomes a distraction rather than a motivator.
It turns out that a moderate noise level is the sweet spot for creativity, and it’s even more effective than low noise levels! To really get your creative thoughts flowing, it’s all about finding the perfect background song.
If you’re trying to process information, studies have found that Baroque music with a 60 beats per minute pattern activates both sides of the brain. But if you’re hoping to come up with your next brilliant idea, you need to pick an upbeat song and play it at a medium volume. Loud enough to trigger the emotional side of the brain, but not so loud it consumes your whole focus.
It’s an intricate art to even listen to music, let alone create it, it seems!
The songs our Senior Management Team use to power through challenging days
Andy Harding – CEO
Song of choice: This Must be the Place by Talking Heads
Uses it to: bring back happy memories
“It’s just a totally uplifting tune that brings back awesome memories of summer parties and happy times.”
Rachel Wakefield – Head of Sales
Song of choice: True Colours by Cyndi Lauper
Uses it to: bounce back
“I like it because it just builds me back up again. If it’s a really bad day I reach for Alanis Morissette and then everyone should take cover!”
Alan Capel – Head of Content
Song of choice: Motorcycle Emptiness by Manic Street Preachers
Uses it to: re-energise
“A lot of people pour over the lyrics to songs, I rarely do. I don’t have a clue what this song is about and I’m worried if I ever find out I won’t like it as much, so it will remain a mystery. It’s a magnificent intro followed by an uplifting and energising song. It’s got guitars in it and it has some umpff. That’s basically what I need after a mad day, I cook to it to relax.”
Abi Todd – HR Director
Song of choice: 500 Miles by The Proclaimers
Uses it to: ground herself
“As soon as I hear the first chord of the song play, it sends me to a happy place, no matter what’s going on.”