How Music Can Make Your Mental Health Better

10k per hour for therapy? Play me a Johnny Drille song please, I’ll listen to music and be just fine LOL.

You know the feeling when your favorite song comes on unexpectedly, or how you spend 2 hours in the bathroom because you suddenly feel like Beyonce, singing along to her album.

Music is more than just background noise or entertainment, it sometimes plays a role in how we think, feel, and function. It has always had a hold on mental wellbeing.

Here are 5 ways music helps your mental health and helps you save money on therapy.

1. Music As A Mood Booster

All you need is just one good song. You’ll most likely not last a week in the choir but at least no one will send you out of your room for singing along to your favorite song. 

Music stimulates the brain’s reward system, triggering the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone. Upbeat music can reduce symptoms of depression and elevate your mood instantly.

You could just be coming out of a bad relationship, or overwhelmed with work, listening to some good song makes all the difference. So, create a “Happy Playlist” filled with songs that make you smile, dance, or sing along.

2. Stress Reduction And Relaxation

Long day at work? Put on some music. Unexpected public holidays? Put on some music while you lay in bed and surf the internet.

Soothing song, especially instrumentals, classical, or nature-inspired sounds, can lower cortisol levels (the hormone responsible for stress). It slows down heart rate and breathing, easing physical tension. This is why music is often used in meditation, yoga, and spa environments.

Not every time “ghetto” songs, sometimes you just need to put on something calming, breathe deeply, and let the song do its thing.

3. Improved Sleep Quality

It is when you want to sleep that your mind suddenly remembers that you were born to be the best runner, you have to toss and turn a “million times” before you finally get to sleep and the next minute your alarm goes off.

Listening to slow, calming music before bed has been shown to improve sleep quality, reduce insomnia, and help people fall asleep faster.

You don’t have to count your fingers and toes ten times to get a good sleep, just find a soothing playlist, even better if it includes rain sounds or gentle piano melodies.

4. Music As A Way To Express Your Emotions

If you have ever cried to a song that described your life better than your therapist, then you understand this one perfectly.

“A problem shared is a problem half solved”, only if you are not sharing with a mass communicator. Music would not broadcast your issues as gist.

Sometimes, it’s hard to explain what you’re feeling, especially during emotional moments. Listening to nice calming songs offers a safe space to process those feelings, and you don’t even need to be an artist to benefit from it.

ALSO READ: Why No One Goes Out Anymore and Why We Must Start Again

5. Connection And Community

From arguing a couple of times about who sings better between Wizkid and Davido to later loving both artists the same way, and now you’re saying “I do” on the altar because of course music brought you together.

Music brings people together, it creates a sense of belonging and shared experience. For individuals struggling with loneliness, isolation, or social anxiety, this connection can be life-changing.

It builds bridges between strangers, and creates communities across cultures. The music community on Fusion is a good example.

Note that this is not a replacement for professional therapy, but it can be a good complement to it. If you’re healing, relaxing, or just having fun, remember that the right song at the right time can shift your whole mindset.
Join the Music for Melophiles Community on Fusion, to get recommendations for good music and also share your music taste.