Alpha Health

Crying While Listening to Songs Makes You Healthier, Really?

When you’re having a tough day, music can be a way to elevate your mood. Sometimes, not a few people cry while listening to songs. However, did you know that it is healthy, you know?

A study conducted by Scientific Reports revealed that crying and listening to music can actually increase feelings of happiness and mood. So, you can reduce feelings of sadness or tiredness by listening to music

Crying While Listening to Songs Can Eliminate Sadness.
What kind of songs do you listen to when you’re sad? Excited or mellow? Logically, when we are sad, we should listen to songs with a fast tempo that can make us more excited. However, in a study by Scientific Reports, listening to sad songs when you are sad and crying because of it can actually make you feel relieved and ultimately improve your mood.

In the study, the researchers asked participants to fill out a survey about how often they listened to sad songs. Researchers then divided the participants into two groups, those who cried, and those who got goosebumps when they heard sad songs.

The researchers found an interesting result, in that both groups tended to breathe more deeply while listening to songs and reported experiencing feelings of pleasure. This shows that sad songs can really be a powerful sedative when you’re letting out your emotions.

Tears As Emotional Release.
Yes, actually crying is not always synonymous with something negative. Precisely by crying, you are venting your emotions and that makes you relieved.

The study above noted that when participants accepted their emotions, their heart rate increased, followed by a calming feeling of peace. The researchers also noted that tears can provide a release of physical tension.

Interestingly, the researchers observed that crying while watching a sad movie actually made you feel much sadder, and not as relieved as crying while listening to a song.

So, when you’re sad, there’s nothing wrong with crying while listening to sad songs. This will make your body more relaxed, and the emotions that are in your heart can be released properly. That way, your mood can improve and you feel happy again.

Well, feeling happy is closely related to your health condition. When you feel happy, your body will produce hormones that can strengthen your immune system, so you will be healthier. A large-scale review of 400 studies showed that playing and listening to music can boost the immune system, reduce stress and increase social bonds.

How Music Can Improve Your Mood
Listening to music can provide calm and relaxation which is indicated by a decrease in cortisol levels and heart rate. Here’s how music can help improve your mood:

– Gives Enjoyment
Listening to pleasant music activates areas of the reward system, the same brain chemical system that produces feelings of pleasure from sex, addictive drugs, money, and food.

– As a detox drug
Music can help channel one’s frustration or clear negative emotions, such as anger, sadness or frustration.

– Change Body Rhythm
Our internal rhythms (such as heart rate) can be accelerated or slowed to the beat of the music. Music with a slow steady rhythm, such as meditative music, has been shown to reduce stress by changing body rhythms, such as heart rate, which results in greater relaxation.

– As a Temporary Companion Substitute
Soothing music can be used as a temporary substitute for social interaction and reduce feelings of loneliness. Furthermore, lyrics that resonate with the listener’s personal experience can voice feelings or experiences that a person may not be able to express.

That’s the explanation of crying while listening to songs that are good for mental health. Don’t forget to also take care of your physical health by meeting your daily nutritional needs. Apart from eating nutritious food, you can also take vitamin supplements.