Apparently the sign of a midlife crisis isn't buying a sports car or getting hair plugs . . . it's really getting into the musical genius of Ariana Grande.

A new study found the average person has their midlife crisis at age 42 . . . at least if you go by their music taste.  Spotify analyzed the music people listen to over their lives and found that most of us follow a pretty specific pattern. We listen to popular stuff in our early 20s . . . our tastes evolve and mature in our late 20s and early 30s . . . by our mid-30s, we don't know ANYTHING about what's trending and just listen to what we like . . . but at 42, we're back to pop.  The people at Spotify say that's the big sign of a midlife crisis . . . since we're grasping at ways to try to look and feel young, and gravitating back to pop music is a big one.

Uh oh. I'm in 40 now and I kind of don't know anything about what's new.  Well, no, I do like my K-pop.  That counts. And the girls show me some stuff.

Maybe I'll keep my youthful vibrancy through music. It's obvious that listening to music relaxes you.  But I've got some specifics here on exactly WHY it's good.

Apparently it doesn't really matter what TYPE of music you listen to, as long as it's something you enjoy.  So even if your kids like something you hate . . . like dubstep, for example . . . it might actually help them unwind.  Which seems impossible.

One reason is, music reduces activity in a part of your brain called the amygdala.   It's the area that regulates negative emotions. Here are three ways listening to your favorite song is good for your health.

#1.)  It Lowers Your Blood Pressure.  Researchers in Italy found that listening to music and breathing slowly for 30 minutes a day lowered people's systolic blood pressure (--the top number) by an average of four points.

#2.)  It Makes You Less Tense.  This kind of goes hand-in-hand with your blood pressure, but a separate study found that 30 minutes of music a day lowers your level of the stress hormone cortisol better than just sitting in total silence.  And researchers in Seattle found that deep breathing while listening to your favorite music reduces anxiety just as much as a massage.

#3.)  It Helps You Deal with Pain.  This is kind of messed, but researchers at the University of Utah gave 143 volunteers ELECTRIC SHOCKS while they listened to music.  They found that tuning into a melody made sharp pain easier to take.

So there you go!  Whether you're listening to stuff you've heard for the last twenty years, or the newest disco hit, keep the music playin.

Hiply yours,
Behka

 

 

 

 

More From Mix 92.3