What is it about music that changes our mood so drastically?
It's my sixth day quarantined and I'm surprised I haven't lost my head already.
I got sent a song just a few minutes ago, I am currently still listening to it. I have to say I was bored watching a tv show and reading -interleaving in between. When I played the song my spirit fully lifted. I had a blank feeling, not sad, not excited, simply doing what I was doing. Now I have opened Spotify and got a total mood shift from listening to a simple song. It's so strange, how did this happen? I feel more alive. It's hard to explain because I believe it's something psychological and connected to our brain perception by fooling it, but now I am living proof of music and how influential it is on us.
Earlier I was reading “The Making of a Corporate Athlete” written by: Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in HBR´s 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness and It says something that I am currently experiencing with the music I am listening to.
“Through our work with athletes, we have learned a number of other rituals that help to offset feelings of stress and restore positive energy. It’s no coincidence, for example, that many athletes wear headphones as they prepare for competition. Music has powerful physiological and emotional effects. It can prompt a shift in mental activity from the rational left hemisphere of the brain to the more intuitive right hemisphere. It also provides a relief from obsessive thinking and worrying. Finally, music can be a means of directly regulating energy—raising it when the time comes to perform and lowering it when it is more appropriate to decompress.”
A total surprise and coincidence that I had read this a few minutes before. So now I am wondering -well... not really wondering- questioning the power of music and how this is an external thing that has power over our mood. If I were to play, for example, “Hold Me While You Wait” by Lewis Capaldi, I'd probably bury myself under the sheets and cry. I'm joking, but It actually could happen. Too much alone-ness (not loneliness!).
So, in my alone mind, in my alone room, on my alone sixth day, I now realize that last night's concert in the shower was the best part of my day, and today's mood shift by listening to a song is another good moment! Is music the answer? Do we really need to simply clean out our playlists and start sharing quality songs around? I'm not sure. But I am sure that I was impressed and that you too, if ever you are feeling down and want to be someplace else, grab your headphones, put on a good song and dance to it, it will lift you up.
Music stimulates emotions and releases dopamine. Fact.
Good drug.
Play on some good jams and get happy! It's a decision we make for ourselves.
Xoxo, Stella.
P.s. Never letting an opportunity pass by! My spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/1296874385?si=85f9bcd81faa4b12