The end of February is legit the worst. It’s brutally cold. It’s still dark when you get out of work. And even the month itself gives up and doesn’t make it a full 30 days. But, fear not, we’re here to help you battle burnout with some musically delightful and extremely scientifical thoughts.
And before we dive in, there’s only a month until spring. If anything, keep that in the back of your head. You can do it!
How does live music battle burnout you ask?
It Exercises Your Brain.
According to one otolaryngologist (which is a fancy word for head and neck surgeon) from Johns Hopkins, “If you want to keep your brain engaged throughout the aging process, listening to or playing music is a great tool. It provides a total brain workout.”
And, if you’re doing it right, you’re also dancing, which is giving you a total brain and total body workout. Grab your board, head to a show, and battle burnout on some sound waves.
It Releases Dopamine.
When we give the brain what it wants, like food, sleep, or… *cough* sex, the brain releases the “feel good” neuro-chemical dopamine. Psychology Today says that the “same chemical is released when listening to music.”
How cool is that? The deepest, darkest, and oldest inner workings of the brain hear music and then rewards you. That sounds pretty good to us. Thanks brain.
It Reduces Stress.
Here’s a big one. Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, who studies the neuroscience of music at McGill University, and his postgraduate research fellow, Dr. Mona Lisa Chanda, “found that music improves the body’s immune system function and reduces stress.”
Not only does it reduce stress, but it helps make your immune system function. I want to be less stressed. Music. I want to be healthier. Music.
If you want to battle burnout, you want to battle stress — and live music does it!
Dancing Helps in the Production of Endorphins.
The Arizona Republic wrote citing the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s guideline that “even though dancing to music may not provide the calorie burn that running or cycling does, studies show that it may release more endorphins than both.”
What are endorphins you ask? They’re neurotransmitters that decrease the feeling of pain, reduce stress, produce feelings of euphoria, and partly explain what many describe as a “runner’s high.” So, even if you’re not a hardcore runner, you may get that same high at the show.
It Helps Your Creativity.
Just last year, The Huffington Post reported on a study by the Creativity and Cognition Studios at the University of Technology Sydney that said, “people come up with more original, creative solutions to problems when they’re listening to ‘happy’ music.” So, if you need or want to be more creative, it might be as easy as going to a happy show.
We’ve come a long way in understanding even better why live music is incredible (as if you didn’t already know). If you need a pick-me-up to battle burnout, live music is where it’s at. Find a show, grab a gig buddy, or just go alone. After all, it’s for your health.
