There's been plenty of studies showing the health benefits of music. Just how much of a daily intake do you need to start reaping the benefits? 78 minutes.
A study commissioned by streaming service Deezer found that listening to at least 78 minutes of music per day is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The study examined the listening habits of 7,500 people and how it affected their physical and mental well-being. Music is tied to emotion and Deezer was able to quantify it with this study. 90% of participants expressed relaxation as an emotional benefit of listening to music. Other emotions participants experienced were happiness (82%), overcoming sadness (47%), concentration (32%), and anger (28%).
“There are certain properties of music that affect the mind and body. Dedicating time each day to listen to music that triggers different emotions can have a hugely beneficial impact on our well-being,” says Lyz Cooper, from the British Academy of Sound Therapy. “Listening to happy songs increases blood flow to areas of the brain associated with reward, and decreases flow to the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with fear.”
Much like your daily nutritional intake, researchers at Deezer concocted a similar makeup of music types. Using the "Recommended Daily Allowance" (RDA) as their guide, they broke down the both the percentage and time different types of music should make up in your daily listening habits. The choice of music is up to the user, it just needs to abide by the following guidelines.
14 minutes of uplifting music (user’s choice) to feel happy (18% of your musical RDA)16 minutes of calming music (user’s choice) to feel relaxed (20.5% of your music RDA)16 minutes of music (user’s choice) to overcome sadness (20.5% of your music RDA)15 minutes of motivating music (user’s choice) to aid concentration (19% of your music RDA)17 minutes of music (user’s choice) to help manage anger (22% of your music RDA)
If listening to 78 minutes of music seems overwhelming, simplify the process. All you need to do is listen to 3.25 minutes worth of music per hour to fill your daily quota. See, it's doable!
Related
