Listening to classical music isn't just a fun way to pass the time; it can have positive effects on your mental health. Consider these potential benefits the next time you're in the mood for an exciting overture, an intricate sonata or a tranquil nocturne.
Research shows that listening to music affects the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is the part of the nervous system responsible for controlling involuntary functions. Heart rate, breathing and digestion are just a few examples of the functions controlled by the ANS.
Because the ANS plays a role in regulating your body's response to stress, classical music can have a big impact on your mental health. Here are the potential benefits associated with listening to classical music regularly.
As you age, it's common to worry about the risk of cognitive decline. Cognitive decline affects memory, processing speed and other key functions, so it's common for older adults to look for ways to reduce their risk.
In a study led by Sara Bottiroli of the National Neurological Institute in Pavia, Italy, researchers determined that listening to background music tends to improve a senior's performance on cognitive tasks. However, music doesn't affect all tasks the same way. For example, participants who listened to classical music had better episodic memory performance than participants who listened to white noise or no sound at all. Classical music also had a positive effect on semantic memory performance.
Episodic memory is the type of memory that allows you to remember things that happened in the past, while semantic memory is what allows you to remember specific words, numbers and concepts. Listening to classical music may help improve both types of memory, leading to a lower risk of cognitive decline in older adults.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages between nerve cells. They also carry messages from nerve cells to the muscles and glands. Listening to classical music enhances mood by triggering the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain.
In a study at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, researchers found that listening to classical music also improved the connections between the regions of the brain devoted to pleasure and sound. This can boost your mood, especially when listening to music with uplifting themes. When study participants listened to music intended to represent joy and excitement, scans revealed that the music increased the flow of brain waves between the two regions of interest.
If you need a quick mood boost, try listening to classical music with uplifting qualities. The William Tell Overture, the Overture from the Marriage of Figaro and the Spring movement from Vivaldi's Four Seasons fit the bill.
It's natural to experience negative emotions such as sadness, anger and fear. However, it's important not to let those emotions control you. If you don't process what's happening, you won't be able to move on, making it difficult to enjoy the good things in life. Fortunately, listening to classical music may improve your ability to process complex emotions.
If you're feeling down, try listening to compositions described as "dark" or "moody." Sad music serves as an emotional outlet, allowing you to reflect on your feelings rather than wallowing in them. Try listening to Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem or Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.
Stress is normal, but that doesn't mean you have to let it take over your life. Listening to classical music helps reduce stress in the following ways:
When you return to your senior community after a long day of socializing and staying active, you need a good night's sleep to recharge. Unfortunately, many seniors struggle to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep through the night. The good news? Listening to classical music might help.
In a randomized, controlled trial, researchers at the Institute of Behavioural Sciences in Hungary discovered that participants who listened to relaxing classical music for 45 minutes at bedtime had significantly better sleep quality than participants who listened to an audiobook or didn't listen to any audio at all. This demonstrates the value of classical music for getting a restful night's sleep.
