5 Benefits of Listening to Music While Studying (Effects on Mind)
I think I knew already that there were certain benefits of listening to music while studying when I was a student, It was very usual for me to listen to music back when I used to stay awake late in the night to prepare for my exams, I remember countless instances when I have been asked by many people including my family members and friends on how I was able to concentrate with my favorite songs being played in the background, at that time it was hard for me to explain why I was able to study better with the help of music but now I know that there are certain positive effects of listening to music while studying which I will be discussing with you in this post.
Not being among the brightest students in the class, it used to be a very difficult task for me to focus on my studies so I used to find various ways to make my studies interesting and apply them just to keep my mind from tricking me into doing other activities. That’s how I discovered that listening to music in the background was very effective, it especially stopped me from falling asleep when I had to keep myself awake while preparing for important tests in school and college. Even today, I still enjoy playing music while I work, and I’ve even curated a dedicated playlist for work. So, regardless of the debates surrounding whether listening to music while studying is effective or not, I firmly believe that you should listen to your favorite songs when tackling tasks like solving math problems or reading a book, as long as it doesn’t prove distracting. However, it’s essential to be honest with yourself, as what works for one person may not work for another.
Now, after all these years of exploring various personal development materials, I have come to realize that I was unknowingly employing a mental trick to my advantage. Music has been proven to enhance various brain functions, according to numerous studies.
The Mozart Effect
A study was conducted in the year 1993 at the University of California which claimed that listening to classical music tends to increase spatial reasoning skills for more than 10 minutes. Following this study, the phenomena became popular as the Mozart effect, and to date, parents in the United States believe that their kids become smarter by listening to classical music.
Here’s a video on the Mozart effect that you might like to watch, to know more about it:-
Many research works have supported the Mozart effect, but there have also been evidence-based arguments against it. However, most studies have confirmed that classical music activates areas of the brain involved in spatial reasoning. Music won’t make anyone smarter, and it will not have any effect on somebody’s IQ; the studies never mentioned such an outcome, and the Mozart effect is widely misunderstood.
It is not true that music, especially classical music, has any specific permanent physical effect on the brain, as many people believe. This is why many kids are encouraged to take up music classes and are also made to listen to compositions by Mozart, especially “Sonata,” because that was the composition used for that particular experiment. However, this does tell us that music does have the power to affect brain activity. Now, let’s take a look at the actual benefits of listening to music that can help students of all ages.
5 Benefits of Listening to Music While Studying
1 – Music Helps to Focus
I am not going to give you any unscientific mumbo-jumbo explanation here; this is plain and simple. Whenever our conscious mind tries to focus on the task at hand, our unconscious thoughts are always running in the background of our primary awareness, and one of these thoughts usually succeeds in catching our attention and thus distracting us. Often these thoughts are our self-talk that needs to be disciplined.
Many times, we also get diverted by insignificant noises in the background, or we get lost in some random thoughts related to past or future events. This not only wastes our time but also makes us disinterested in whatever we are trying to focus on
When you play soothing music and then proceed to work or study, you prevent your mind from getting entangled in these unconscious thoughts. The music acts as bait for the thoughts that constantly vie for your attention. This is the answer to a question people used to ask me during my time as a student. I didn’t have this answer back then, but now I understand that our inner mind is akin to a child that needs engagement; otherwise, it won’t allow us to focus.
2 – Motivation
Just as people use music for motivation in the gym and sports, you will discover that listening to songs with lyrics that can ignite your emotions can also help you study for longer hours.
Positive music that can amplify your positive emotions has proven to be a great catalyst for activities that require you to tap into your full potential. That’s why you’ll be able to grasp and process more information if you play music in the background while learning new things.
The genre of music that prompts you to contemplate your goals will serve as a reminder of the significance of your dedication to the task at hand and achieving your objectives. This will provide you with a compelling reason to study for longer hours, even when your mind is inclined to take a break.
3 -Helps to Kill Boredom
This was my primary reason for using music while studying. One of the main factors that makes it difficult for students to maintain consistency in their studies is that they have to follow the same tedious, tiresome, and monotonous routine every day.
A lot of students begin to yawn the moment they open their textbooks, this used to happen to me all the time and I found that the reason behind it was the fact that my mind has associated studying with feelings of boredom. If you want to be able to sit for longer hours while studying then you will have to trick your mind into believing that studying is a very interesting activity and for this, you can use music.
See, when you play your favorite track while studying, you will be enjoying the music which will naturally eliminate the boredom whereas your mind will start to associate the happy emotions caused by the music with studying.
4 – Stress Reliever
Do you know why most students find studying a chore? It’s because the education system worldwide doesn’t encourage people to be at ease while studying. Despite the evolution, the modern education system still carries the underlying expectations that require students to be competitive and serious about their studies.
Whenever students even think about studying, they unconsciously conjure up the feelings associated with their grades, and they often avoid studying to escape the stress. No one likes to do something that causes a lot of pressure, which results in students dedicating less time to their studies.
Playing music while studying helps alleviate the stress associated with the task, allowing students to study for longer periods and enhance their ability to grasp and remember what they are learning. I would also recommend using mindfulness exercises to address the intense emotions linked to your academics. You need to study without worrying about the results and to achieve that, it’s essential to manage the stress aspect associated with it first.
5 – Memory
I am not going to feed your mind with any brain-related speculation that is not backed up by science, so this is not about any connection between increasing memory or IQ by listening to music. What I am about to share with you is a psychological hack that you can use to recall something you’ve learned.
Our brains associate music with real-life memories; that’s why we often feel very nostalgic when listening to particular songs, and memories come flooding back as if they happened recently. When you use music for studying, there is a strong chance that your brain will form a connection between what you are learning and the music you are listening to. You can use this to your advantage by playing specific music for specific subjects before or during revision so that you can better recall what you learned earlier.
These are some points that explain why music can be beneficial for studying. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful. Do you have anything to add? I would be very happy to hear from you, so please leave your comments in the box below. Your feedback will motivate me and help me improve my blog’s content.
Additionally, if you found this article informative, I would suggest reading my post titled “8 Self-Awareness Activities for Students.” There, you will find tips on how to achieve your goals by gaining more control over your thoughts.
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