A podcast is a digital audio file that is available on the internet for download or stream through a computer or smartphone, usually available in the form of a series.
Podcasts have been around for some time now, and almost everyone has listened to a podcast at some point.
According to the latest podcast statistics, 144 million Americans listen to podcasts, which means 51% of the people in the US older than 12 have listened to a podcast at least once.
Many people listen to podcasts when they have free time. Some listen to them in the morning while they are getting ready for work, at work, when they are cooking, driving or when they are exercising. They are also a varying number of podcasts that talk on different topics.
Just listening to music can be beneficial to your health. Listening to podcasts is also said to have positive effects on the mind and body. Here are some of the health benefits of listening to podcasts.
Health Benefits Of Listening To Podcasts
1. Can improve your mood
Podcasts can be an effective tool for boosting your mood. For example, listening to a comedic podcast can put you in a better mood when you’re feeling a little low.
There are many mental and physical benefits associated with being in a good, positive mood. Tuning into a funny podcast can make you laugh, which in turn improves your mood. Furthermore, listening to a little humor can help reduce cortisol (stress hormone) and brighten your mood.
2. Reduces stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety can adversely affect your health and wellbeing. Although there are many ways to combat stress and anxiety, listening to podcasts is one of the easiest ways to relieve stress and anxiety.
According to a 2020 study by the University of Valencia in Spain, listening to brief guided mindfulness meditation can increase your oxytocin levels and reduce stress and anxiety.
Listening to podcasts can also lead to the production of dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine and serotonin are both “feel-good” chemicals, which means they can help combat feelings of stress and anxiety.
3. Improves focus, concentration, and attention span
Podcasts are a great way to improve your focus, concentration, and attention span. When you listen to suspenseful podcasts such as true crime podcasts can stimulate the brain.
Your brain interprets suspenseful information through the medulla oblongata, which produces adrenaline, a stress-inducing chemical that makes the brain more engaged and alert.
Thus, paying attention to podcasts is one of the healthy ways to enhance your focus, concentration, and attention span.
4. Boosts brain health
It is important to strengthen our brain health and function by constantly learning new information. Hearing podcasts is a great way to boost your brain health. Yes, indeed, listening to podcasts can make you smarter.
When you listen to informative and educational audio, it opens up your mind and increases your knowledge in the same way that reading does. In addition, listening to audio content makes the brain work harder, which kind of exercises the brain.
5. Helps you fall asleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial for your overall health and wellbeing. However, not many are able to fall asleep easily. Nonetheless, podcasts can help.
Listening to podcasts is a great way to relax before falling asleep. There are many podcasts dedicated to helping their listeners fall asleep, and they actually work.
6. Can be a form of self-care
Listening to podcasts can be a form of self-care. This means that taking the time to listen to podcasts can be a way to prioritize one’s own mental health and well-being.
For example, imagine a scenario where someone is feeling overwhelmed and stressed out from work or personal responsibilities. They may choose to listen to a podcast as a way to relax and unwind, which can help reduce stress levels and improve their mood.
7. Stimulates mental imagery and enhances visual processes
Another interesting health benefits of listening to podcasts is that it can stimulate mental imagery and enhance visual processes, which can be good for health.
This is because mental imagery and visual processing are important cognitive functions that can help improve memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
To add to that, research has shown that mental imagery can activate similar brain regions as actual experiences, which can help improve overall brain function.
When you listen to podcasts that stimulate mental imagery and visual processes, individuals can exercise these cognitive functions and potentially improve their overall brain health.
Bottom Line
As you have seen, there are a lot of amazing health benefits of listening to podcasts. You can also learn how to improve your health, fitness, or wellness from some podcasts. Therefore, you should start listening to one. There are a plethora of wonderful podcasts that can prick up one’s ears and keep them glued.
I found it interesting when you mentioned how hearing podcasts helps boost brain health since it opens the mind and increases your knowledge like how reading does. My friends have been listening to a lot of podcasts lately, so I got interested in them. I’ll have to check out a media podcast series as well.
It’s interesting to know how podcasts could help us focus and improve our attention span. Recently, I’ve heard about how podcasts are taking over the world, and everyone seems to be actively listening to one, so since I love trying new things, I’ll look for a podcast right now. Thank you for explaining how podcasts make our brain stay active and focused.