The last year has been a wild ride.

We have had everything happen from a virus to killer bees. Being quarantined is much harder than I thought it would be, but this gave me some to work on myself. 

Well…not really I’ve been busy juggling jobs, Girl Scouts and keeping up with school work. I don’t think I would’ve stayed sane this year without my playlists of music (well as sane as I’ve always been, which was not much).

I’ve discovered so many genres of music over the past year, it’s incredible. I now listen to everything from Broadway show tunes, death metal, dubstep, classic rock, and the 1980s.

Music truly can get us through some tough times. Listening to music can be entertaining, and some research suggests that it might even make you healthier.

Music can be a source of pleasure and contentment, but there are many other psychological benefits as well. Music can relax the mind, energize the body and even help people better manage pain.

The notion that music can influence your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors probably does not come as much of a surprise. If you’ve ever felt pumped up while listening to your favorite fast-paced rock anthem or been moved to tears by a tender live performance, then you easily understand the power of music to impact moods and even inspire action.

The psychological effects of music can be powerful and wide-ranging. Music therapy is an intervention sometimes used to promote emotional health, help patients cope with stress and boost psychological well-being.

Some research even suggests that your taste in music can provide insight into different aspects of your personality. Research suggests that background music, or music that is played while the listener is primarily focused on another activity, can improve performance on cognitive tasks in older adults.

One study found that playing more upbeat music led to improvements in processing speed, while both upbeat and downbeat music led to benefits in memory. So the next time you are working on a task, consider turning on a little music in the background if you are looking for a boost in your mental performance. Consider choosing instrumental tracks rather than those with complex lyrics, which might end up being more distracting.

Stress relief

It has long been suggested that music can help reduce or manage stress. Consider the trend centered on meditative music created to soothe the mind and inducing relaxation. Fortunately, this is one trend supported by research. Listening to music can be an effective way to cope with stress.

Improve memory

Lots of students enjoy listening to music while they study, but is that such a great idea? Some feel like listening to their favorite music as they study improves memory, while others contend that it simply serves as a pleasant distraction. Research suggests that it may help. It depends upon a variety of factors, including the type of music, the listener’s enjoyment of that music, and even how musically well-trained the listener may be.

In one study, musically naive students learned better when listening to positive music, possibly because these songs elicited more positive emotions without interfering with memory formation.However, musically trained students tended to perform better on learning tests when they listened to neutral music, possibly because this type of music was less distracting and easier to ignore.

If you tend to find yourself distracted by music, you may be better off learning in silence or with neutral tracks playing in the background.

Sleep better

Insomnia is a serious problem that affects people of all age groups. While there are many approaches to treating this problem, research has demonstrated that listening to relaxing classical music can be a safe, effective, and affordable remedy.​

Motivation

Don’t you just feel more energized when you hear a certain song? There is a good reason why you find it easier to exercise while you listen to music. Researchers have found that listening to fast-paced music motivates people to work out harder. So if you ever feel some days you don’t want to do anything put on some fast tunes and get up.