Edinburgh Napier University

Tag: Health

Can music improve your wellbeing and health?

Can music improve your wellbeing and health?

Numerous studies suggest that music can have positive effects on both mental and physical well-being. From running to Dementia.

Here are some ways in which music may contribute to improved health:

  1. Mood Enhancement: Music has the ability to evoke emotions and enhance mood. Listening to uplifting or calming music can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also elevate mood and promote a sense of well-being.
  2. Stress Reduction: Music has been shown to have a calming effect on the autonomic nervous system, leading to lower levels of stress hormones. Slow-tempo music with a relaxing melody can induce a relaxation response in the body.
  3. Pain Management: Music therapy is used in various healthcare settings to help manage pain. It can distract individuals from pain, reduce the perception of pain, and contribute to a more positive experience during medical procedures.
  4. Cognitive Benefits: Listening to music can stimulate cognitive functions, including memory and attention. It is often used as part of therapy for individuals with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
  5. Improved Sleep: Calming music before bedtime has been shown to improve sleep quality. It can help people relax and create a conducive environment for restful sleep.
  6. Enhanced Exercise Performance: Upbeat and rhythmic music can enhance exercise performance by providing motivation and increasing energy levels. It can also distract individuals from feelings of fatigue during physical activity.
  7. Social Connection: Music is a universal language that can bring people together. Group music-making activities, such as singing or playing instruments, promote social interaction and a sense of community, contributing to overall well-being.
  8. Emotional Expression: Music provides a means of emotional expression and can serve as a cathartic outlet. Creating or listening to music allows individuals to express and process their emotions.

Resources

The neuroscientist Indres Viskontas has done a lot of fantastic research on the subject and you can access many of their articles through Librarysearch.napier.ac.uk, such as:

Music on the Mind: an introduction to this special issue of Neurocase
Viskontas, Indre V. ; Margulis, Elizabeth Hellmuth

Music Therapy has long been recognised as a helpful treatment. We have many books and articles for you to read on the subject. Check out:

Music therapy
Rachel Darnley-Smith and Helen M. Patey.

The British Journal of Music Therapy  available online

It’s important to note that the effects of music on well-being can vary from person to person, and individual preferences play a significant role. What works for one person may not work for another. Additionally, music is often used as a complementary therapy and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment when needed.

Furthermore, why not check out our Spotify for some musical Inspiration?

So to answer the question can music improve your wellbeing and health? Yes it can!

Right, I’m off to dance around the Library and lift my January spirits!

By Juliet Kinsey

Read more January inspiration on the blog with our article on keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Apple Day: A Brief History of The Apple

Apple Day: A Brief History of The Apple

Okay, it was bad news for Snow White, but for most people, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It must be because an apple’s high potassium and low sodium content promote heart health. Or maybe it’s because it regulates your blood sugar and provides anti-cancer protection with antioxidants like quercetin. Or maybe it’s because its fibre content helps to keep cholesterol levels low. Or perhaps it’s just the pleasure of biting into that sweet, juicy flesh.

The Brief History Bit

Apples originate in central Asia, probably Kazakhstan, and there are more than 7,000 varieties in the world. Here in Scotland, we can lay claim to around 40 varieties, but sadly you’ll find very few of those in the shops. Industrialisation and cheap imports have led to a steady decline in apple production in the UK since the 19th century.

To counter this decline, Common Ground, a charity based in Dorset, founded Apple Day in 1990.  Every 21st October, they encourage us to celebrate the importance of apples in our landscape, ecology and culture and highlight the dangers of losing our indigenous varieties.

The Orchard Project

The Orchard Project is a national charity dedicated to creating and restoring community orchards. You can find out more about them here:

The Orchard Project – Bringing orchards into the heart of urban communities

Here at Edinburgh Napier, our dedicated team of volunteers work hard on the Lions’ Gate project to enhance the biodiversity of our campuses and contributing to the University’s environmental sustainability strategy. As part of this strategy, they’ve planted an orchard at our Craiglockhart campus.  Why not visit it next time you’re on campus:

Gardens – The Lions’ Gate (napier.ac.uk)

You don’t have to wait until the 21st of October to celebrate apples. We recommend eating one a day. Our challenge to you is to source a different apple variety for every day of the year. Autumn is the perfect time to start. We’d love to hear how you get on.

By Lesley McRobb

Check out our blog post on the Lion’s Gate garden

Get Moving and Study Better!

Get Moving and Study Better

Tips for helping your body be healthier as you study.

Whether it’s studying, working, or watching a screen. We all need to move more. Finding clever small changes is a great way to sneak a little more health into our daily lives.

Things like stand-up desks are a great idea but they can be expensive and large. Try fitting one of them in your Halls room. Below we’ve come up with a few easy, cheap or free alternatives.

Sitting on the Floor

This is an easy one, why not try sitting on the floor? If you’re streaming, reading, or even just scrolling pop yourself down on the floor instead of a chair. New research says that it can be very beneficial to do this for just a short period a day.

Make sure you use a good position though, cross-legged, Z-sit or Long sit to make sure your posture is correct. This article from Healthline can give you some good floor-sitting tips.

You can read more on the science in articles like: “A Comparison Study on the Change in Lumbar Lordosis When Standing, Sitting on a Chair, and Sitting on the Floor in Normal Individuals”, available through our Library catalogue LibrarySearch

Recording and Walking

Why not record your study notes on your phone, pop in some earphones and go for a walk. Research says the best way to study is to use multiple formats. It’s called multimodal learning! Multimodal learning incorporates visual, auditory, reading and writing and kinesthetic

So don’t just write them down but speak your notes aloud. By recording them and listening back as you walk, your body and your brain will be working. You could even drift off to sleep listening to them and let your unconscious soak them in as you sleep.

Read more on SpringerLink in this research paper called Multimodal Learning by Dominic Massaro.

Meditation

So, this one needs to be done separately from studying but the science says it can really help you actually study better. So even if you schedule a few short meditation breaks into your day you could see improvements. To get yourself moving why not try a walking meditation?

There is a study called: “Effects of a Mindfulness Meditation Course on Learning and Cognitive Performance among University Students in Taiwan” available through LibrarySearch. The study found meditation significantly improved memory performance. So why not give it a try?

Here’s a free 10-minute walking meditation on Soundcloud.

Just Move!

Fidget, wiggle your toes, or sway to some music. Any movement is good! Why not stop and do 10 jumping jacks or some squats? Put on your favourite song and dance! Getting the blood pumping around your body is an excellent way to stimulate your mind!

Read more on health and well-being in some of our other articles:

Stress Awareness Month

January and Wellbeing

By Juliet Kinsey

Image Source: Image by Anna Lysenko from Pixabay

 

Library Relaxation Spaces

Library Relaxation Spaces

Physical relaxation Spaces

We know University life is devoted to study and learning, but we also want you to feel relaxed and comfortable every time you enter our libraries.  It’s essential to take time out, de-stress, and give yourself a break from your studies. Looking after your mental and physical well-being is crucial to your success at university.

With that in mind, we hope you’ll feel welcome in our relaxation spaces. These are small colourful areas we’ve designed for you to sit back, and enjoy the benefits of natural light and soft seating.

Each of our three campus libraries has its own dedicated space, ask the helpdesk for directions. In these spaces, we’ve provided puzzles, jigsaws, craft materials and colouring books and pens to help you feel relaxed and explore your creativity,  But maybe you just want to sit and do nothing for a while. That’s fine too – pull up a beanbag, talk to the plants, or just sit, put the notes down and let your mind wander. You’ll feel all the better for a break and ready to tackle your next assignment.

For more information on our relaxation spaces, please see here: Relaxation Spaces (napier.ac.uk)

Online Relaxation Space

Not only do we have physical spaces, but we also have an online relaxation space! Right here on the blog, we have an area dedicated to helping you take time out to relax from studying. Check out our online relaxation space at the top of this page. There is something for everyone, with links to breathing exercises, art therapy and relaxing music. To name just a few.

By Lesley McRobb

Support and Wellbeing Over The Exam Period

During exam time, it’s important to look after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. The library is here to support you and your wellbeing over the exam period.

Relaxation Spaces

Each campus library has a relaxation space where you can take a break and relax on comfy furniture or try a mindful activity like colouring or doing a jigsaw puzzle. Check out our virtual relaxation space here on the Library Blog for some excellent wellbeing resources.

Shelf Help

We also have Shelf Help which is a collection of resources aimed at supporting your wellbeing. There are print and ebooks, tv shows, podcasts and more which we’ve organised into themes. You can find resources to help tackle stress, insomnia, anxiety and low self-esteem as well as cookery books to help you eat well on a budget and ways to deal with procrastination and increase your productivity.

Spotify

If you are looking for some relaxing music to listen to while you study, the Library has some Spotify playlists for you here.

Get Outside

One of the best things you can do is to get outside and have a walk in the fresh air. Although don’t forget to wrap up warm in the cold Scottish winter. Nature is proven to help us feel better. Read more on this with our article on “thriving in nature

Contact

Library opening hours can be found here You can also contact the library 24/7 by phone and email on 0131 455 3500 and library@napier.ac.uk

The university is here to support your wellbeing and you can find out more about the services they offer here

By Julie McGregor

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