Have you ever wondered why the right playlist can turn a bad day into a bearable one (or even make it downright awesome)? Or perhaps how your various emotional responses seem to be intrinsically tied to the type of music you’re listening to? How positive emotions can be invoked by upbeat, bouncy tunes, while sad music makes you feel just a little bit melancholic?
No matter what your music preferences might be, whether you’re into smooth jazz or alternative rock, music listening has the uncanny ability to affect our emotional experiences and even improve our emotional self-regulation skills.
We’ve long understood the power of music to connect us with emotions we may not have been aware of in our daily life, to improve our emotional well-being, or to boost our mood.
But what’s recently come to light in research is that the psychology of music may also have a unique ability to affect regulation. It can improve your emotional intelligence, reduce your anxiety, and even boost your decision-making abilities.
Intrigued? Put a record on (or, more likely, open up your Spotify app), and settle in. In this post, we’re exploring how music helps us regulate emotions, along with the effects of music on decision-making for people with executive functioning issues.
Click here to jump to the TL;DR summary.
How Does Music Help Regulate Emotions?
You likely already know that music is a powerful art form, one that can evoke equally powerful emotions.
However, multiple studies have shown that music can also help regulate our emotional states. Research has found that, especially for adolescents, listening to music can significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels. A study in the Journal of Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain demonstrated that the use of music therapy can be particularly effective for individuals dealing with depression, PTSD, and other mental health conditions.
So, how does music actually work to help regulate our emotions?
The answer lies in neuroscience. When we listen to music, it activates areas of the brain associated with pleasure, reward, and emotional regulation. Specifically, music can stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating mood and emotion.
Translation, for those of us without a psychology degree? If you’re in a negative mood, listening to the right song may be able to improve it.
Music has also been shown to be an effective tool for pain modulation. This is due in part to the fact that listening to music can reduce the perception of pain in the brain. Not only that but music has been shown to enhance the release of endorphins, which are natural painkillers our bodies produce.
Aside from its ability to regulate emotions and manage physical pain, music can also help improve cognitive function. Listening to music can improve memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility. In fact, some studies have found that playing music while studying or working can actually help individuals retain information more effectively.
How Does Music Affect Decision-Making?
Music is the ultimate emotional trigger. It can bring up memories that make us feel happy, sad, or even nostalgic.
This has a massive domino effect, because when we’re emotional, research shows that our decision-making abilities can be altered. When we’re in a positive mood, we tend to make more optimistic choices, while negative emotions can lead us to more pessimistic decisions.
Another role of music has to do with our decision-making skills. Studies have shown that people tend to make faster decisions when the music they’re listening to has a fast tempo. It can also help improve your focus.
On the other hand, slower music can lead to more deliberate and thoughtful decision-making. So, if you’ve got an important decision to make, consider the tempo of the music you’re listening to and how it might impact your thought process. If you need to make a fast call in a pinch, pick up the beat. If you’re making a bigger decision, like, say where to go to college, you may want to slow things down.
Of course, the science on this isn’t perfect: there’s still plenty of room for future research on how musical emotions impact decision making, but it’s definitely a theory worth trying the next time you have a choice to make!
Tips for Using Music to Regulate Emotions and Improve Decision-Making Skills
Ever listened to a sad song just to cry it out? Congrats, you’ve accidentally hacked into one of the oldest emotional self-regulation strategies in human history.
Music can reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood, and even improve your decision-making skills.
So, how can you use it to enhance your decision-making skills and learn how to better regulate your emotions?
Here are some tips.
Try Different Genres of Music for Different Moods
Music can affect our emotions in many ways. When we’re feeling low, listening to sad songs can be comforting and cathartic.
On the other hand, when we’re feeling stressed or anxious, listening to upbeat and energetic music can help us feel more optimistic and motivated. It’s essential to try different genres of music for different moods and find what works best for you.
For example, classical music can reduce stress and anxiety, while rock music can increase energy levels and improve focus. Upbeat tunes also tend to equal instant optimism. Whether it’s dancing to “Shake It Off” or belting out Rihanna in the car, music preferences tied to positive emotions can help you keep your cool in stressful situations.
Listen to Music Throughout the Day
One of the best ways to use music to regulate your emotions and enhance your decision-making skills is to listen to music regularly throughout the day. You can create playlists that suit different activities, like one for working out, one for relaxing, and one for work.
Listening to music while working, for example, can help increase productivity, improve focus, and enhance memory retention.
It can also be helpful to mix in music as part of a planned break. For examples on how you can structure your break time to actually help you relax when upset or frustrated, check out our free .pdf exercise “Break Box” from the Real-Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off)
Enhance Your Creativity
Listening to music can enhance creativity and help improve cognitive function. That’s because music activates different areas of the brain, including those responsible for memory, attention, and emotion recognition.
So, if you need to brainstorm ideas or come up with creative solutions to a problem, try listening to some music that inspires you. You might be surprised by how much it can help!
Harness the Power of Music to Increase Productivity
Music can help us focus and get into “the zone” when performing tasks. Many people find that they work more efficiently when they listen to music with headphones. When you’re listening to music, it’s easier to block out distractions from your environment, which can help you concentrate better.
In addition, music can also energize you and help you push through difficult or tedious tasks.
Experiment with Music Therapy
The use of music as a therapeutic tool is well-established. Music therapy involves using music to improve mental, emotional, and physical health.
It’s a discipline that’s been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, among others. You don’t need to be an expert to implement music therapy in your life – you can start by identifying your current emotional and mental state and selecting music that will correspondingly match it. It’s as simple as that (though working with a professional never hurts, either!).
Use Music as a Tool to Help You Reach Your Goals
A key step in using music to regulate emotions and improve decision-making skills is to identify your goals. Once you know what you want to achieve, you can use music as a tool to help you get there.
For example, if you’re trying to stay focused and productive, listen to instrumental music or a playlist that’s designed to help you concentrate. Or, if you’re trying to relax and de-stress, listen to calming songs or nature sounds.
Aim for Balance in Your Playlist
When creating your playlist for emotional regulation and decision-making, it’s important to aim for balance.
Don’t just include songs that make you happy or sad, but also songs that evoke a range of emotions. This will help you stay in touch with your emotions and develop more emotional intelligence and regulation skills.
Use Music to Help You Channel Your Frustrations
If you’re feeling frustrated or angry, listening to aggressive music might help you release those emotions in a healthy way. However, it’s important to note that this method isn’t for everyone and can backfire. For some people, aggressive music might make them more agitated.
Instead, try listening to music that’s high energy, upbeat, or transformative to help you channel your frustrations in a positive way.
Pair Music With Movement
Feeling meh? Skip the social media doom scrolling, and get down some blood-pumping musical engagement (ideally, outside for another added dopamine boost).
Pump up the tempo and get moving. Dance in your room, walk around the block, or even do some stretches.
Music can be a powerful motivator when it comes to physical activity. So, if you’re feeling sluggish or unmotivated, listen to some upbeat music and get up and move.
Dancing, going for a walk, or doing some other physical activity while listening to music can help boost your mood and improve your decision-making skills. Plus, it’s a fun way to integrate music into your daily routine.
Consider Your Listening Environment
Your surroundings can have a significant impact on how you experience music. For instance, listening to soothing music in a peaceful environment can help you relax and reduce anxiety. At the same time, playing upbeat music in a high-energy setting can boost your motivation and productivity.
Before selecting a playlist or tuning into your favorite radio station, consider the situational context and your desired response.
Leverage the Benefits of Evaluative Conditioning
Ever noticed how some songs remind you of victory moments? Recreate that magic by pairing specific tracks with activities like studying or relaxation. You’ll train your brain to recognize those vibes and slip into focus or calmness on demand.
Evaluative conditioning is a cognitive strategy that involves pairing a particular stimulus (in this case, music) with a specific response to create an association and influence your behavior. By exposing yourself to music that aligns with a particular mood or state of mind, you can condition your mind to link the two together.
Listen to the Lyrics (or Write Some of Your Own)
Music is not just the melody, beats, and rhythm- it’s also about the lyrics. The words in a song can convey a powerful message and shape your perspective.
Listening to lyrical music that aligns with your emotions or writing your songs can be a form of catharsis and an excellent way to express yourself. Moreover, it can help you process challenging emotions and give you a sense of control.
Consider Executive Function Skills Coaching to Unlock More Benefits and Strategies
Executive function skills, such as decision-making, planning, and problem-solving, can be enhanced through music.
Executive function skills coaching can equip you with valuable tools to leverage music as a way of regulating emotions and enhancing decision-making skills. A coach can help you identify triggers and create unique music playlists based on your personality, needs, and cognitive strengths.
TL;DR – (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
Music (and your overall music perception) is about so much more than backgorund noise. It’s one of the best predictors of emotional well-being, mood, focus, and so much more.
By tapping into your music preferences, you can not only enhance mood but also make better choices. Whether you’re channeling energy on New York streets, working through a tough day, or testing out future psychol strategies, music is your ultimate wingman.
Now go forth and curate the perfect playlist, one that’ll have both your brain and emotions vibing the whole way through.
Further Reading
- Joanna Stewart et al.: Music Use for Mood Regulation: Self-Awareness and Conscious Listening Choices in Young People With Tendencies to Depression
- Terrence Cook et al.: Music as an emotion regulation strategy: An examination of genres of music and their roles in emotion regulation
- Rebekah Pierce: Emotional Regulation & ADHD: What You Need To Know
- Amy Sippl: Finding Focus: How To Help Your Teen With Paying Attention
- Nora Landis-Shack et al.: Music Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress in Adults: A Theoretical Review 8 Self-Monitoring IEP Goals for Real Life