The assignment is due in two hours and the screen is still blank. The cursor blinks back at you as you re-read the prompt for the third time. You try to process what the question says but your mind is wandering in five different directions cluttered with distractions, panic, and the fear of falling behind. What you may not realize is that something that may help is not another cup of coffee or one more scroll on TikTok, but by listening to music. According to the Natural Library of Medicine, music enhances your cognitive function, promoting memory, attention, and learning. But, music’s power goes far beyond improving your mental acuity. Every melody holds a complex neurological response. By understanding music’s impact on the brain, you can use it as a tool to enhance your mood, cope with stress, and even relieve pain.

Music is essential to one’s mental health, and this has been validated through extensive research. The Jed Foundation noted that a 2019 study found that listening to classical music every day for two months significantly lowered the anxiety of college students. It has the ability to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones. Music is a remarkable tool to lessen the impact of serious mental health issues.

According to MedicalNewsToday, symptoms of depression can significantly improve with the assistance of music. While you are listening to music, your body releases a hormone that makes you feel good, dopamine. In addition to this, endorphins are released, which induces happiness and relief.

So, the next time you’re mindlessly staring at your assignment and struggling to get it done, play your favorite song. You’ll soon find the drowning flood of work much easier to complete with the help of a song like Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”. As a highly successful musician himself, Billy Joel states “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”