Noises affect your mood
Scientific studies have established, especially in recent years, that noise affects mood. How is this possible? First of all, we must note that excessive noise causes deafness and that this problem attracts a whole set of additional psychological difficulties.
Second, the noise itself is an aggressive stimulus to the brain. Sounds such as bells, trumpets, sirens, and alarm bells put the body on alert. The result is an increase in stress levels, one of the main ways in which noise affects mood.
In addition, excess sound overstimulates the brain. Noise is almost always present in the development of daily activities. This causes the brain to focus on several aspects simultaneously and affects cognitive performance. This is another way in which noise affects your mood.
How noises affect your mood
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the noise level should not exceed 65 decibels. Exceeding this level has a negative impact on people’s social behavior. Specifically, it increases anxiety, irritability and feelings of helplessness.
Also, according to available data, seven out of ten people say that the noise does not allow them to concentrate. Noise affects the ability to concentrate and attention and, in the long run, can even lead to learning and memory problems. Also, most people are nervous when there is a lot of noise around them.
Another way in which noise affects mood is during rest. People need a quiet environment in order to fall asleep. If there are sounds in that environment, insomnia will occur very often or sleep will be abruptly interrupted. This has multiple psychological and physical consequences.
Aural architecture
Aural architecture is related to how noise affects mood. Science has established that the acoustic properties of a house, a building or a building directly affect people’s emotions. We are talking here about sound architecture.
Experts in the field point out that the way a structure is built determines its acoustic properties. And these properties, in turn, directly affect the mood of people. Aural architecture is related to the design of a place and the materials from which it is built.
One of the scholars specializing in aural architecture is Trevor Cox, an acoustic engineer at Salford University in Manchester, UK. He points out that certain structures, such as the Hagia Sophia in Turkey, have such an acoustic aesthetic that when you step inside it, you feel a sense of peace and spirituality.
A study in this regard revealed that listening to a 110 Hz tone reduces activity in speech centers and transfers it to brain regions associated with abstraction and creativity.
Music and mood
The influence of sounds is so significant that there is already an entire area dedicated to music-based study and therapy. In this regard, a study conducted by the University of Bari (Italy) and the University of Helsinki (Finland) indicated that music changes the biochemistry of emotions.
The study, which was published in the journal Nature, indicates that changes in dopamine receptors were observed with the musical stimulus. This study is the first approach that seeks to establish non-pharmacological treatments for mood disorders.
In fact, music treatments are used in patients with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Good results were obtained. Therefore, if the music has all this power, it is clear that the noise affects the mood negatively.
Prevention and recommendations
Big cities have noise pollution problems. Ideally, everyone should commit to reducing noise levels in everyday life. Voluntary actions are really useful, such as not using the horn if it is not necessary, avoiding loud music or refraining from speaking in a very loud tone.
It is also important for people to use hearing protection when they are in noisy environments where noise is impossible to control. In addition, it is important to spend several hours regularly in quiet spaces.
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