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- The Deliverer. This is the person who selected and/or provided the music. Consider the qualifications and training of this individual, their purpose for delivering the music, their level of cultural humility and awareness, and their personality characteristics.
- The Recipient. This is the person who receives the music. It can be the same person as the deliverer (i.e., through self-selected music) or someone different.
- The Music. This relates to how the music was delivered, how long it lasted, how loud it was, and how it was selected.
- The Context. This includes the current setting (Was this in a hospital? At home? School? In a public space?) , sociocultural norms and expectations, and how the music was delivered (by an individual or a group).
Sep 30, 2024 · Upbeat or emotionally charged music can keep your brain in an alert state, making it harder to drift off. It’s like trying to fall asleep at a party – your brain is still in social mode, not sleep mode. The impact on sleep cycles and duration is particularly concerning.
- Overview
- Is it possible?
- When music might become a problem
- How to cut back (if you feel like you need to)
- Best practices to keep in mind
- When to get help
- The bottom line
If you love music, you’re not alone. People throughout the world appreciate and use music every day, whether it’s to advertise, remember facts, exercise, or drift off to sleep. For many, music also plays a huge role in culture and identity.
Plus, music may also:
•reduce anxiety and stress
•help relieve pain
•improve your mood
•improve sleep quality
In short, not really.
Experts don’t formally recognize music addiction as a mental health diagnosis. Still, that doesn’t mean music habits can still sometimes become problematic.
If you have any familiarity with how addiction develops, you might know a little about the role dopamine plays.
Here’s the short version:
Substance use or certain behaviors trigger the release of dopamine in the brain’s reward system. Over time, the brain begins to rely on these substances or behaviors and naturally releases less dopamine. So, your brain becomes dependent on those dopamine triggers.
A 2011 study involving 10 people who experience chills when listening to music suggests that music can trigger a dopamine release when it produces an intensely positive emotional response — aka the chills.
There’s no straight answer here, but we can look to things that health professionals generally check for when evaluating someone for a potential addiction:
•Can you control the behavior pattern?
•Does it cause problems in your daily life?
•Do you continue the behavior despite any negative consequences, because you feel unable to stop?
•Do you need the behavior more over time and experience withdrawal when you don’t engage in it?
It really comes down to this: Does listening to music affect you negatively?
Identify areas where you can go without music
Even if you want to listen to less music, you don’t have to go without it entirely. Instead, try choosing specific times of day or activities when avoiding music might be wise. If you’ve identified specific areas of problem listening (during class lectures or at work when you’re supposed to focus on customers, for example), start cutting back there. If you have the ability to listen to music nearly all day, every day, set aside some time when you could go without. Sure, you can hang on to your workout tunes, but try giving your listening device a break when you go for a walk. Keep your ears open for the sounds of nature instead.
Break up your listening with other activities
If you listen to music pretty much nonstop, you may spend less time taking in other forms of media or interacting with others. Music has plenty of benefits, it’s true. But other media can offer benefits too. Some things to try: •Call a friend or loved one. •Watch a favorite movie. •Study a new language (free apps like Duolingo or audio CDs from your local library work great for this).
Listen to other things
Music is convenient because you can listen while doing other things. Background noise can keep you company at home or work if you don’t enjoy silence. Music isn’t your only option, though. Consider giving these different types of audio a try: •National Public Radio (NPR). Google NPR followed by your city’s name for your local channel. •Audiobooks. Many local libraries offer fiction and nonfiction options for checkout or streaming. •Podcasts. No matter what you’re interested in, there’s probably a podcast about it.
Turn down the volume
The one major downside to listening to music? It can lead to hearing loss over time if it’s too loud. You might not even realize just how high the volume is. People tend to play the music they love most at higher volumes, perhaps because they believe it’s not as loud as music they enjoy less — even when the volume is exactly the same. So, if you really want to blast that one song, go for it, but then lower the volume. Your ears (and probably your neighbors) will thank you. If you use headphones, remember the 60-60 rule: Only listen to up to 60 percent of maximum volume for 60 minutes a day.
Switch to over-ear headphones
If you’re concerned about hearing loss, experts recommend headphones that cover your ear as a safer option. Earbuds and wireless headphones may be fantastically convenient, but they can increase your chances of hearing loss. Noise-canceling headphones can also block out background noise, making it easier to lower the volume without the unwanted consequence of external sound creeping in and disrupting your chill.
Match your music to the situation
You probably know what types of music energize you, but certain types of music can offer benefits in specific situations: •Music with a slow, restrained tempo can promote relaxation and lower stress. •Classical music can help increase focus, especially when studying. •Your favorite music can help improve a bad mood.
If you feel like you need to rework some of your habits around music but are having a hard time doing so, working with a therapist can be a big help.
A therapist can help you better understand what drives your behaviors around music and come up with healthier ways to address them.
Say you use music to relieve persistent anxiety, but your reliance on music is causing problems in your relationship. A therapist can help you address the causes of your anxiety and find other ways to cope with symptoms in the moment.
It’s also best to talk to a therapist if you notice symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns. Music can certainly help you feel better, but it’s not the same as treatment.
Feel like you can’t live without music? It’s a pretty common feeling. For most people, music mostly has a positive impact, so listen away. Still, it never hurts to keep an eye (or ear) open for signs that music is causing problems in your life.
Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.
- Crystal Raypole
Feb 8, 2019 · Research suggests music can influence us a lot. It can impact illness, depression, spending, productivity and our perception of the world. Some research has suggested it can increase...
- Overstimulation. If you want to see me cringe, show me a picture of an infant wearing headphones or an expectant mother lovingly holding headphones around her belly.
- Hearing Loss. Speaking of headphones… I wonder if we'll see a spike in hearing loss in the coming decades given the increasingly ubiquitous use of headphones and earbuds.
- Memory Triggering. Music is second only to smell for its ability to trigger memories. This is due in part to a long evolutionary tradition that connects a need to process sound quickly in order to survive.
- Emotional Flooding. Several years ago I guest-facilitated a support group for caregivers. As I was not their primary group facilitator, I intended to keep the session more superficial, with a primary focus on educating participants about music therapy and the services offered at the hospital.
Dec 15, 2022 · Along with triggering a release of the feel-good hormone dopamine, science has shown that listening to music may boost our cognitive function, potentially relieve symptoms of anxiety...
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Sep 6, 2023 · A survey of music therapy patients at the Huntsman Cancer Institute showed that after treatment, 86% of them had improved mood, 78% felt less anxious and 77% felt less lonely. But for the best results, music you listen to needs to match your mood.
