London - For those dealing with the post-breakup blues, it might seem sensible to listen to happy music.
But it turns out the melancholy records of Adele or Radiohead could be the best medicine for a broken heart.
Sad songs help us deal with grief more effectively than listening to upbeat music, a study has found.
De Montfort University researchers looked at the listening habits of 450 people with a range of emotional circumstances.
The team found that they tended to turn to more lamentful tracks during a crisis, which helped them move on sooner.
Lead researcher Dr Annemieke van den Tol said: “Sadness often involves emotional loss, which is not a problem which can be solved or reversed.
“The only real way to move on and feel better is by accepting the situation, and we found that people were able to do this by listening to sad music, but not so much by listening to happy music.”
Many respondents said sad songs helped them cope with a negative situation.
Dr van den Tol added: “By connection to the sad emotions in the music, they are able to turn negative emotions into something more peaceful, allowing them to move on and accept these.”
Daily Mail