Music and reading are healthy for your brain. That's good because I love both and it made think of the Sound of Music tour I took in Austria.
Even though I like the rich culture and history of the places I visit; I also like the stereotypical tourist attractions. I found out during my Sound of Music tour that much of the movie was filmed in America, but I still wanted to see where the true story unfolded. Austria is a beautiful country and doesn’t need a famous movie to promote it. I was captivated by every place that was used for the movie or duplicated for it so I shared the photos with this blog. The pictures don’t do it justice. The Sound of Music portrays a family who had lost their joy when their mother died. They found it again when a young woman who loved to sing came into their home to care for the children. Ultimately music helped the Von Trapp family escape from an austere home life and the Nazis. Whether you like an upbeat tempo or a soothing melody, music has benefits. I’m not an expert so I don’t know if classic rock versus classical music has different results on the brain. I’ve read several articles online that state music benefits the mind. No matter what genre you like: country, rock, jazz, classical or alternative, you may be helping out more than just your mood. Personally I find music helps me get through a day at work and frankly I just love to sing. Another thing to keep your brain healthy is reading. We all should incorporate reading into our daily routine. As an author I push people to read, because hopefully they will read my books, but like music, it is good for you. I much rather read a book than eat vegetables, but I don’t think reading is the solution for all health issues despite my wishes. There are online articles about how reading increases your language and motor skills. Surprisingly I found that reading novels can be better than reading non-fiction. The same article said fictional literature helps people be more empathetic. So reading doesn’t just help you escape into a virtual vacation, but it can help keep your brain strong as you grow older. Reading has also been used to treat depression. Maybe it is just as healthy as those veggies I force myself to eat. You might think you are too busy, but even a little reading each day is better than none at all. Truthfully what you have time for is what you prioritize. What we deem is most important will get our time. So feed your brain and read a book. Online Articles where I found some of my information: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/doctors-are-now-prescribing-books-to-treat-depression-180948211/?no-ist http://blog.theliteracysite.com/this-is-your-brain-on-music/ http://blog.theliteracysite.com/how-reading-fiction-improves-intelligence/
1 Comment
Gayle Everhart
12/19/2015 03:33:42 pm
I love your pictures of Austria! What a wonderful experience this must have been for you.
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