“Music is the moonlight in the gloomy night of life” – John Paul Friedrich

It is often said that variety is the spice of life, but music lovers have claimed that music is life in itself. “Music is to the soul what words are to the mind” – Modest Mouse.

Music is a pleasurable art that can also yield a powerful therapeutic effect. It has a stress-relieving effect and could help you temporarily escape the pains of life.

Over the years, there have been extensive studies on the benefit of music therapy in mental health improvement and the results have been impressive.

Apart from the fun fact that music is a rhythmic sound that brings different people together, research has proven that melody reduces blood pressure and heart rate. It can also help to regulate anxiety rate and boost the overall mood of individuals.

In this informative article, we would explore the rich health benefits of music that have been otherwise relegated to the background in mental health improvement.



What is Music Therapy?



Music therapy is the administration of therapeutic sounds in the treatment of issues relating to mental health. The concept of music treatment dates back to the 1800s when the foremost music therapy experiment was conducted.

Music therapy is unique in its administration because it does not involve the use of drug pills, injection of substances, or any other physical medical interventions. However, it works almost as much as healthy medical prescriptions and it has absolutely no side effects.

While you cannot always use music as a solitary method of mental health treatment, you can use it alongside other medical interventions to boost the recovery rates of mental health patients, helping them to recuperate faster.

Contrary to what many think, music therapy is not just about listening to music, even though that is a major part of music therapy.

Music therapy involves the use of songs/sounds. Music could be with or without words and can be enhanced with the use of well-played instruments.

Music therapy could be administered via one or more of the following means:

Listening to good music
Playing musical instruments like piano, guitar, violin, and harps.
Writing and even singing songs.


In music therapy, you can either be an active participant or a passive one.

Let’s look at what both concepts individually mean:



Active Participation



This involves active participation in music therapy. It could be as simple as singing along to your favorite music or learning to play a musical instrument like piano, guitar, or even harps.

A little swaying of your body in line with the tandem with the music can do much more good to your mental health than you think.



Passive Participation



Passive participation does not require you to do anything other than listen. Hence, you could listen to a soul-rejuvenating song while doing your regular house chores or during bodily exercises like running or jogging. Research shows that athletes that run while listening to music recorded better running performance.

You could also listen to a professional instrumentalist who plays you a musical instrument while you try to sleep.



Music and Your Mental Health



Stress is a natural human response to emotional and mental pressure. It is almost a normal part of life and every human has to go through it at one point or the other. However, the extent of its effect may vary for different individuals.

Stress can take a negative toll on your mental health, birthing varieties of adverse effects including insomnia, mood swings, anxiety, physical body pain, headaches, energy depletion, and depression amongst others.

However, the good thing is that stress can be managed, and this is where music therapy comes to play.



Benefits of Music Therapy to Mental Health



Music therapy can be administered to aid the treatment of mental health-related issues, including dementia, sleeping disorders (insomnia), depression, and anxiety.

Music is a powerful therapy that can improve your mental well-being by reducing stress. While its mechanism of action is not distinctly known, its effectiveness in alleviating stress and improving mental health is undeniable.

Some of the proven benefits of music to mental health include:



Memory enhancement

It can help patients suffering from dementia to recall lost memories easily and more rapidly.



Stress Relief

Music can help to cure depression and anxiety, enriching the soul and improving your overall mood. Research shows that music can aid the release of emotional tension while helping you to loosen up better.



Better Sleeping Pattern

Music can improve sleep patterns by calming parts of the autonomic nervous system, which improves the breathing pattern, reduces blood pressure, and regulates heart rate.



What Kind of music is The Best Selection for Therapy?



Not all music is fit for use as therapy, but the right music is food for the soul, refilling it with energy and vitality for improved mental well-being.

While there isn’t a fixed genre of music for therapy, you still have to select the right music for the choicest effect. The best kind of music for therapy includes:

Sounds that evoke emotions in you; could make you laugh or cry
Sounds that help you relax or ease you off to sleep (don’t you often wonder why babies sleep better and longer with a soft lullaby playing in the background?)
Sounds that make you want to sway your body into tune with a song.


Regarding Mental Health, Does Music Therapy Work for Everyone?



No! As with every other therapy, music therapy will not work for everyone, but it is definitely worth a trial. Especially since it does not involve any obvious risk.



Improve Your Mental Health at No Cost with Music Therapy!


Music is fun, relaxing, motivating, and energizing. You can start your day with soft therapeutic music or make music an important part of your daily routine at almost no cost. It can serve as an easy and economical way to boost your mental health with no side effects.

It is hard to explain the mechanism of how music touches people and works to calm the nerves, improve mental health, and speed up the healing process of patients suffering from different ailments. All that is known is that music is an effective medicine prescribed for the soul to strengthen the mind and, subsequently, the body. This is enough proof for you to give it a trial.

Olamide Sodamade is a Lagos, Nigeria based writer.

SOURCE: https://africavoiceshq.com/2022/04/30/music-therapy-an-effective-stress-reliever-and-mental-health-booster-by-olamide-sodamade/

Music is actually a great way to reduce stress for many people, but in some cases, that's not enough, unfortunately.

That's true, music is great, but it can't solve mental problems. That's why I started smoking weed, and I can tell you that's the best way for me to cope with anxiety and panic attacks. After reading a few articles on Highway420, I'm planning to grow cannabis myself because it's more affordable, and it's easier than I thought.