Using Music to Cope

Connor Russo | Writer

Music is a very important part of my life. It’s the first thing I think about when I get in my car, take a shower, or do any mindless task. It’s always blaring in the background when I’m at home, even right now as I type this blog. But music isn’t just something to help keep your mind occupied, it can seriously benefit your overall health.

Whether you listen to country, R&B, jazz, or rap, whenever you play your favorite songs your body is thanking you. Research shows that listening to music can reduce pain, anxiety, and stress as well as improve quality of sleep, memory, and mood. Feel anxious about an exam or a job interview? Next time try pulling out your Spotify or Apple Music and find something to belt to. Yes, singing literally reduces cortisol levels in your brain which reduces feelings of stress and anxiety.

After conducting research testing participants' cortisol levels before and after singing, The National Library of Medicine concluded that there is “preliminary evidence that singing improves mood state and modulates components of the immune system.”

Personally, if you were to hand me the aux I’d play anything from rap to punk rock, depending on my mood. My only rule is no country. But the beauty of music is that you don’t have to like what I like, there’s something for everyone’s taste, and an almost limitless amount of space to show your uniqueness.