Four Different Ways Music Affects Our Mood

JON HEINDEL | JONHEINDEL.COM

Four Different Ways Music Affects Our Mood

There is no denying that music has the potential to have a profound impact on your mental, emotional, and overall psychological state while you listen.

That being said, not every piece of music affects you in the same way, nor does every time you hear the same song.

Positive or Negative Feelings This is about as primary a way in which music can affect your mood.

On the one hand, you can listen to a song you consider fun or happy, and it raises your spirits. On the other hand, you can also listen to a sad song, which may put you in a bit of a malaise.

However, things aren’t always as clear-cut as that. Before you start listening, your feelings add vital context to change how you react psychologically to a piece. For example, listening to sad songs can be cathartic in the right circumstances and leave you feeling better afterward. Conversely, if you’re in a bad mood and a cheery song starts playing, you may feel happier – or may resent how its sweet sugary tone clashes with your sour mood. The phenomenon of your spirit changing with a piece of music is sometimes referred to as “emotional contagion.”

Physical Sync

In addition to having your mood synced up to a song, music can also help sync up different aspects of your physical state. For example, your heart rate can sometimes speed up or slow down to match the beat of a piece.

Started by a Song Chances are you don’t listen to heavy metal or techno music when you’re trying to fall asleep. Loud sounds startle us, making music like that antithetical to your attempt to drift off to dreamland. Evolutionary survival instincts have helped hardwire our brains to respond to loud, sudden, discordant noises.

Musical Memories In Marcel Proust’s multi-volume Modernist epic In Search of Lost Time, Charles Swann associates a fictional piano piece, the Vinteuil Sonata, with his beloved Odette. Real-world musical memories can work the same way, which in turn can affect your mood. When you listen to a song you psychologically associate with positive memories, there’s a decent chance you may start to feel happier as you subconsciously link yourself back to that time. Conversely, listening to music you associate with negative times can sour your mood.

The relationship between music and mood within a person’s psyche is complex, everchanging, and rarely strikes the same note in two people.

Thank You for Reading!

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