Therapist Reveals Neurological Benefits To Listening To Music From High School

Therapist Reveals Neurological Benefits To Listening To Music From High School

Don’t try to deny it — you’ve had a little concert shower or been caught belting your “nostalgia playlist” at a red light. Whether it’s alone or with friends, listening to music and singing along always feels so incredibly therapeutic. Windows down, radio blasting — it’s like a slice of heaven. 

But what if this incredible feeling was actually backed by research? Turns out it is. Our nervous systems and brains are yearning for nostalgia and looking for connection at every second.

Sometimes, it finds it in music — that old Jordan Belfort song or Britney Spears track might be “cringy” to kids now, but it could actually be acting as a form of therapy for you. So, the next time you’re dealing with some big feelings or looking to connect with yourself after a long day at work, treat yourself to some throwback tunes. 

A therapist revealed that listening to old music you used to love has tons of healing neurological benefits. 

“Listen to the music that you loved to listen to … as a teenager,” Therapist Nikki Roy suggested, “like punk rock, Pitbull, whatever. Listen to that because it actually helps us. It helps us get out of our heads and connect to ourselves. It makes us feel alive again.”  

RELATED: Why Your Favorite Playlist Feels Like A Private Therapy Session Sometimes

“There is a thing called neural nostalgia,” Roy explained, “where researchers are actually finding that the music we used to listen to as teenagers binds to our brain differently than anything we’re ever going to hear as adults.” 

This nostalgia, which is ever-present in our old playlists and CDs, is also present in other media forms we indulged in as kids — from TV shows to old movies and even old objects we frequently used during happy times in our lives. 

Studies show that this neural nostalgia — whether from music or other avenues — has tons of benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, protecting against ever-present feelings of loneliness, and even sparking a new sense of purpose and confidence.

However, remember that intentionally using something like music to spark nostalgia has the potential to be powerful for better or worse. If you have specific trauma from your childhood or college years, this old music might bring back memories that are less than fond. 


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