Emma Magenta c/o Third Drawer Down
(AKA Best Tea Towel Purchase Ever)
When you listen to music you like, you're often compelled to move to it. This we know. But did you know that when you move to music, your brain releases dopamine? Dopamine, as Psychology Today's ever-helpful "Psych Basics" tell us is
a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them.
So the more we move to the music, the more dopamine will be released, making us love the music that moves us even more.
Speaking of dopamine, if you're after a little mood-booster and don't have your iPod handy, eat a banana. They contain a form of dopamine (this is what makes them go brown, if my research is correct). While this is not actually transferable to your brain via your blood, bananas are said to stimulate the release of serotonin - another feel-good chemical based in a higher region of the brain.
