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For centuries music has been used to promote overall health and wellbeing and sooth the soul.
“This idea of calming ourselves can be considered in terms of a physiological response-slowing our heart beat, for instance” says psychologist and Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne, Dr Amanda E Krause.
“In this way, people may be using the music as something to focus on, distracting themselves from other thoughts. At the same time, the music can serve to block external sounds.”
Certain types of music, such as quiet classical music can have a positive influence on your physiological functions, decreasing the levels of stress hormones, lowering blood pressure, and slowing the heart rate.
Since music therapy became a legitimate profession in Australia in the 1970s, music researchers and therapists have reported impressive results in areas such as pain management, mental illness, insomnia, stress relief. But you don’t have to have a serious illness or condition to reap the rewards that music offers.
