Music has an impact on you in many ways. Listening to music affects your breathing – for instance, a peppy dance number may have you tapping your feet with a rapid heart rate while a classical tune will relax your heartbeat and respiration, allowing you to relax completely. These studies have resulted in spas and luxury hotels having soft music to enhance the experience of a soothing massage or relaxing vacation.

Studies prove that music has a positive impact on the brain, especially the regions that are in charge of anxiety and depression. An increase in dopamine releases the feel-good factor that is used in treating depression.

Some of the universal benefits of music are:

• Muscle relaxation
• Reduced blood pressure
• Increased motivation
• Boost in self-esteem
• Mood Enhancer

Some of these directly help someone who is going through mood disorders. Anxiety and depression usually go hand-in-hand where a person may go through a roller-coaster of emotions from guilt, shame, anger, fear, and sadness. When this low feeling and negativity do not go away for two weeks, it falls under depression. While music may not be a cure, it helps direly in the healing process.

Music not only helps depression but is a low-cost intervention that often reduces surgical, procedural, acute, and chronic pain.

Another review spoke about how the anxiety-reducing effects appear to be greatest when people are given a choice of which music to listen to.[3] The genre of music that you love or the tunes that hold memories for you can have a more significant impact than others. This works for everyone, whether you are feeling stuck, suffering from ailments or just need to feel better about life – turn up the music and maybe even dance to it!