Can music improve your wellbeing and health?
As we step into January and try to shake off the winter slump, music can be a surprisingly powerful tool for boosting both your mental and physical health. Research across psychology, neuroscience, and medicine consistently shows that music can support everything from stress management to dementia care.
Here are some ways in which music may contribute to improved health:
Mood Boosting
Music is one of the quickest ways to change how you feel, and it works almost instantly. A favourite upbeat track can give you a burst of motivation when you’re dragging your feet. A gentle piano piece can soothe nerves before a presentation or interview. This happens because music stimulates reward pathways in the brain, releasing dopamine. The same “feel-good” chemical behind small victories and satisfying moments. On days when everything feels heavy or overwhelming, even a short song can lift your spirits and help you feel more grounded. It’s a tiny intervention with a surprisingly big impact.
Stress Reduction
When life gets hectic, with deadlines, placements, exams, and part-time jobs, music can act as an accessible form of stress relief. Slow, soothing music slows the heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and helps regulate breathing, signalling to your body that it’s safe to relax.
This makes music an excellent tool for study breaks or pre-sleep wind-down routines. Even 5–10 minutes of calming music can help reset your nervous system, reduce tension, and give your mind a much-needed moment of peace amid a busy schedule.
Pain Management
In clinical settings, music therapy isn’t just soothing background noise. It’s a recognised method of supporting patients through painful or uncomfortable experiences. Music works by redirecting attention, reducing the brain’s focus on pain signals, and promoting emotional comfort. This might mean using music during injuries, physiotherapy, dental visits, or even during a tough day with headaches or muscle aches. While it’s not a cure, it can make discomfort more manageable and improve your overall experience.
Cognitive Support
Music doesn’t just affect mood. It also stimulates key cognitive processes. Certain types of music can help with concentration, memory formation, and sustained attention. This is why some people find they study better with instrumental or ambient playlists.
In therapeutic contexts, music is used to help individuals with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions maintain connections with memories and emotions. While most of us aren’t dealing with those challenges, the same mechanisms can still help you remember information, stay focused, and structure your study sessions more effectively.
Better Sleep
If your sleep routine has taken a hit due to late-night study sessions, messy timetables, or stress, music can help you get back on track. Soft, slow-tempo music can reduce physiological arousal. The racing thoughts, restlessness, and tension make it hard to fall asleep, so building a short “pre-sleep playlist” can signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down. Over time, this becomes a cue your body recognises, helping you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper, more restorative rest.
Improved Exercise Performance
Whether you’re a gym regular, an occasional jogger, or simply someone who likes a brisk walk between classes, music can make physical activity feel easier and more enjoyable. Research shows that rhythmic music synchronises with your movement, helping you maintain pace and reducing your perception of effort. Your favourite high-energy songs can push you through the last few minutes of a workout, elevate your mood, and turn exercise into something you look forward to rather than something you dread.
Social Connection
Music has the unique ability to bring people together. Singing in a choir, going to gigs, playing in a band, or even bonding over playlists with friends helps build a sense of belonging. For university students — especially those new to campus or juggling changing social circles — music can be a powerful way to create friendships and strengthen communities. Shared musical tastes can spark conversations, create memories, and make you feel more connected to those around you.
Emotional Expression
Sometimes emotions pile up in ways we can’t easily describe. Music gives you a language for all the things that feel too complicated or too personal to articulate. Whether you’re listening to lyrics that resonate, improvising on an instrument, or curating the perfect playlist for your mood, music becomes a safe way to process feelings. It helps you recognise, name, and release emotions, which is an essential part of maintaining emotional health.
Read The Science
The neuroscientist Indres Viskontas has done a lot of fantastic research on the subject, and you can access many of their articles through LibrarySearch. Here’s some inspiration to get you started:
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 is 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
