Music is an integral part of most of our lives. Music, which can increase our emotions exponentially when we feel sad, bored, or happy, is also an excellent exercise for the brain. According to a new study, taking a break from what we do to listen to music helps us focus more easily afterwards. A study published in the journal ‘Neuroscience’ addresses exactly this.
Researchers at the University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté in Nice, France, studied the effect of music on the brain with 37 volunteers. After trying to touch the flashing targets on the touch screens, the volunteers took part in activities that required focus and tiring the brain for half an hour. Later, a group of volunteers took a break from the tests and did activities such as walking and cycling. Another group listened to music meanwhile. The last group, meanwhile, did nothing. In tests performed again after the break, the results were surprising.
Listening to music and physical activities are like gymnastics for the brain:
The two groups that listened to music and did physical activity between testing did significantly better in the posttest. While all three groups stated that they did not feel any signs of mental fatigue, the group that did not listen to music and did not engage in physical activity had poor results in the posttest compared to the other two groups.
Like this research, which reflects the positive effects of music on the brain, the video published by TED-Ed in 2014 provides information that musicians’ brains are incredibly active when they make music. At the same time, the video also shares the information that music activates every part of the brain at the same time, and therefore it is one of the greatest exercises for the brain. If you feel mentally tired and unable to focus, it might be time to listen to one of your favorite songs.
TED-Ed video with Turkish subtitles:
20106
