Music can create a fathomless impact on both the body and emotions. People are introduced to different kinds of music, and there is no doubt that people are enjoying the experience of listening to them. Faster music can affect you to feel more attentive and focus better. Cheerful music can affect you to feel more positive about life. Music in a slower tempo can relax the muscles and calm the mind, affecting you to feel relaxed while venting out the stress developed during the day. Music has been seen to work for stress management and relaxation. Thus, aside from the fact that music can satisfy the artistic mind of a person, it is also beneficial to people in terms of reducing the stress level.
We have our tasks to do, and our daily lives can be both exhausting and fun. Indeed, there can be times wherein you will feel down because of the loads and burdens that you will have to deal with. These things and more can make you feel stress, and when we talk about stress, we know that it can be a crucial stage anyone should find a way to cope up, else ways, they will end up losing their game. Stress requires immediate management because it can eventually develop into a much serious condition if left unaddressed for quite a while.
There are several ways to manage stress. Medical solutions are always available so you can get immediate help. But there can be another approach in terms of managing stress. If you are in a tough situation and you feel like the level of your stress is immense, sometimes what you need to do is simply listen to a piece of calming music to relax. A lot of people divert to music when they are attempting to relax or concentrate, whether it is hip hop, the music played in elevators or the sparkling sounds produced by wind chimes. That is probably the beauty of music – it comes in wide options, which makes it suitable for any preference of a person.
The Science behind Music
A study validates the personal experiences about music. Recent evaluations showed that music ranging 60 beats every 1 minute could trigger the brain to harmonize with the beat creating alpha brainwaves. Alpha brainwave occurs when a person is conscious and relaxed. To encourage sleep, a person is said to commit at least 45 minutes while keeping a relaxed position, getting a piece of calm music to listen to. Researchers coming from Stanford University have explained that listening to music happens to alter the brain working to a similar extent as treatment. They further explained that music is a common tool that is accessible to almost anyone, which makes it a simple stress reduction equipment.
Further, research also stated that music was used as a treatment and rebuild the synchronization between the body and mind. Just recently, scientific researchers have tried to calculate the promising uses of music. These studies have learned the following:
- Music therapy essentially lowers emotional distress and improves the quality of life among cancer patients and adults.
- Listening to music may alleviate depression and improve the rating of self-esteem among elderly people.
- The structure and form of music can carry command and safety to distressed and incapable children. It promotes regulation and communication, thus enhances the quality of their lives.
- Music may help lower both the distress and sensation of both postoperative pain and chronic pain.
- Listening to music through headphones lowers the level of anxiety and stress among patients in a hospital before surgery and after the procedure.
- Creating music may lower burnout and enhance mood among students of nursing.
Ways of Music in Reducing Stress
1. Music improves your mood
Music is always related to emotions. Each of us has our respective types of songs that make us laugh and smile. Whether the track brings you back to a moment that you can connect with a pleasant memory or a funny and amusing song, there will always be a suitable track for any occasion.
Hence, if you are feeling stressed, why not consider exploring some of the available tunes. Grab your headphones and play your favorite music! These tracks may immediately improve your mood, putting a smile on your face and get rid of the stress that is occupying your mind.
2. Music works for meditation
Meditation is eminent for being one of the most common practices and certainly included in the list of effective practices to reduce stress. You can find a wide range of meditation music where you can locate the present moment and meditate, regardless of your location or your current activity.
Nevertheless, if meditation is not your cup of tea, you may still consider listening to any available meditation music. This will still help you lower your stress level during a stressful state, or loosen up after a long and tiring day.
Some music is suitable for meditation as it can work to assist the mind in slowing down and start the relaxation reaction. Nevertheless, not all tranquilizing music would suit anyone. Music having no structure may be annoying. Mild music with a common melody is more comforting. You may look around to know what particular music creates a sense of familiarity, centeredness, and peace for you as a person.
3. Music enhances your focus
Do you often feel stressed every time you report to your office, and you see the bulk of loads in your table that seem to be endless? Do not feel doomed. You are not the only person who experiences this challenge.
Nevertheless, it is worthy of remembering that the moment you spend thinking about your loads and successive appointments can be devoted to making the job done, which implies you have to get something that will help you improve your focus.
Through time, studies have proven that listening to an appropriate kind of music can improve focus and therefore improve productivity, allowing one to efficiently carry out his or her tasks and reduce the stress level.
4. Music lowers the anxiety level
There are plenty of claims and studies done that support that listening to music can help lower the anxiety level. Anxiety is a common condition among individuals, and the most annihilating, of all mental statuses. It has turned to be somewhat of an endemic in the recent community.
And, as what has been known by many, anxiety is developed by the immense presence of stress. This is because stress accumulates until it grows and becomes hard to manage if left unsolved or unaddressed, effects in us turning apprehensive about some situations.
Nevertheless, by reducing the levels of stress through music, people can eventually lower the anxiety level in their daily lives. People can opt to listen to music regardless of their location, even if they are driving. Just whip up the subwoofer and allow the music to handle your anxiety, especially when you are stuck in heavy traffic.
5. Music improves the immune system
If you are not physically well and stuck with an illness, it is only common that you feel stressed about it. Furthermore, when feeling sick, it is normal to feel stressed because of the things that you cannot attend to such as going to work, running errands, or having a quality time with the family.
Nevertheless, it is worthy to recall that experts have discovered that listening to music may work to improve the immune system as well as its internal functionalities. In fact, according to the study, the mere listening to a piece of dance music for 50 minutes can improve the productivity of the body for antibodies, which helps a person to feel better.
6. Music lowers the range of pain occurring within the body
If you feel pain, it would be normal that you will feel stressed, for similar reasons of not having the capability to carry out the tasks that you want to do and the idea that you are suffering from pain. The pain can be both emotional and physical.
Nevertheless, studies have demonstrated that the emotional and physical pain may be lowered by merely listening to music. Although more studies are yet to establish a proof on how music acts on this, listening to mild music that prompts the brain has been seen to lower the pain with the body. Thus, reducing the levels of stress.
7. Music lowers the blood pressure
High-blood pressure is an indication and cause of a higher level of stress. These immense, stress-triggering levels can be the output of numerous aspects, counting in lifestyle choices, like diet or smoking, or kinds of stuff that cannot be controlled, like arguments with others or harsh situations.
If you are feeling stressed and you feel like your heart rate is going too fast, why not consider listening to a piece of classical music or any kind of music that is relaxing? This is seen to lower the heart rate and bring down the blood pressure to a normal range.
8. Music encourages you to settle and relax
Are you having a heavy day? Maybe you were overloaded with tasks, and there are plenty of things that you are yet to finish? These things may make you feel exhausted and tired. If you are in this situation, then it will not be unusual if you see yourself in great stress.
Although there are plenty of ways that you can do to relax after a very long day, finding a piece of good music and listening to it can be a good option. You do not have to be particular with your choice and find a piece of music that is relaxing. Just get your favorite genre! Take a cold shower, grab your favorite book, or make yourself a nice cup of coffee, and you will be fine on your way to becoming the usual happy you.
9. Music lowers the manifestations of depression
Although depression is known to be very common and most disabling of all mental illnesses, there should be no good reason why you will choose to live a life that way. Although some existing treatments and medications fight these appalling manifestations, listening to music may be enough, if not more efficient.
Science has demonstrated that listening to some kinds of music, or participating in music therapies, is an effective method to reduce the impacts of depression, pushing you to live your life daily on a normal and happy way.
10. Music improves concentration
Whether you are working out in a gym, reporting to your office, or even tracking on your task, you are not left alone in terms of keeping focused on what you are executing. The mind has a horrible habit of winding off into having thoughts on other things, instead of focusing on the task that we are currently working out to finish.
Nevertheless, listening to a piece of music is an effective way to attach yourself to the current moment, letting you enjoy what you are performing, regardless of how exhausting it is, assisting you to keep your concentration, present, and generally happy!
11. Music enhances the pattern of sleep
If the pattern of your sleep is cluttered, thus, depriving you of getting a night of good and sufficient sleep, you will know how stressful it can be. Nevertheless, listening to music may grant you the answer you have been searching for.
If you are having difficulty in getting a night of good sleep, consider listening to a piece of music that is calming and soothing before you go to your bed. There are plenty of playlists and online tracks that are made to help you improve your sleeping habit, letting you relinquish sweetly and softly, so you can gain back your strength and energy and become ready to face the challenges of the next day.
12. Music harmonizes with the emotions
Life is composed of many ups and downs, and most of the time, we see ourselves not in harmony with the emotions. For a lot of us, we can feel pleasant and glad for no reason, similar to how often we see ourselves sad for no reason too. This disengagement from the emotions can only bring us confusion and doubt and, thus, stress, which is going to make an unhealthy effect in our lives.
We know that listening to music from different artists of different songs can make us feel sad or happy; thus, if you are feeling disconnected, consider listening to various genres of music to begin comprehending your feeling, letting you become in harmony with your body and mind.
13. Music simply rocks out life’s stresses
There are times that life can be so challenging and stressful that the only thing that you can do to wind down is to pour out the stress from the body. This will give you the feeling of freedom and clarity of mind. There are times that you are simply not in the mood for relaxing and calming music.
Whether you are an enthusiast of chart-toppers, bass-heavy dance music, heavy metal music, soulful keyboard melodies, or rock music, playing your favorite playlist and enjoying a little boogie as you are moving your body based on the rhythm or doing your errands can be an effective way to vent out the stress within you, giving your body and mind some space to breathe.
What Kind of Music will Reduce Stress?
The question now is – what kind of music can reduce stress the most? A bit startling is that Celtic, Native American, Indian-stringed instruments, flutes, and drums are very efficient in soothing the mind even if moderately played loud. The sound of thunder, rain, as well as nature sounds can also be soothing, specifically when combined with other kinds of music like classical, light jazz, and simple listening music.
Because with music, we are seldom told about the corresponding beat per minute, the argument would be how are you going to pick the kind of relaxation music that works most efficiently for you? Well, the answer to the question partly relies on you.
First, you must like and appreciate the music that is played, and it should have the capacity to relax you. You may begin by merely delving into the different choices of music. Some music may make you feel relax. Some may simply not. Dragging yourself to relaxation music that annoys you may create rigidity, and not reduce stress. If that occurs, consider finding for other music from the internet or refer to a Counselling Service officer for some musical recommendations. It is essential to bear in mind that calming the mind does not imply you will immediately feel lethargic. It implies that your body and brain are relaxed – and with a different version of yourself, which is the calm one, you may then work at your best in any of your tasks and activities.
Preference for music widely differs among people; thus, only you can determine what you prefer and what is fitted for your mood. However, even if do not commonly to classical music, you may also find it worthwhile when choosing the most soothing music. Remember that your main objective here is to rescue yourself from a situation of becoming extremely stressed. If you see a single hint that would help you address stress, then why not try it?
If a person is suffering from too much stress, there is a possibility to inhibit energetically listening to music. Maybe it would feel like worthless – not helping to accomplish anything. However, as we know, productivity improves is stress is lowered; thus, this is another aspect where you can get huge rewards. It only requires a minimal effort to start with.
How to Integrate Music
To integrate music in your hectic schedule, consider playing music in a CD when driving your car. Or you may simply turn on the radio while you are taking a shower or bath. If you are taking a walk together with your dog, bring a piece of portable music so you can play it while you are bonding with your pet. A person suffering from bipolar disorder or clinical disorder may listen to music to improve their moods.
Furthermore, singing or even shouting can also be a good way to get rid of tension. Karaoke is a fun thing to do for people who are extroverts. Listening to calming music before lying in bed encourages relaxation and tranquillity and helps to persuade sleep.
By now, you may already know that there are plenty of ways on how music can make you feel calm down, relax, and distressed. Although stress is a common widespread in this current era, it does not imply that this is how you should live your life.
Music had always taken a large and flexible part of the society. The idea of music has been recognized for several millenniums. It has been a part of the way of life across the world. Listening to music can grant a lot of the answers you were searching for, letting you get a kind of life that you want to live.
Listening to music may have an amazing soothing effect on the body and mind, particularly quiet, slow classical music. This kind of music can create an advantageous impact on the physiological functionalities, slackening the heart and pulse rate, reducing blood pressure, and lowering the stress levels. Music, in other words, can serve as an effective stress management tool.
Experts still have plenty of work to carry out to verify if listening to music can help reduce stress by reducing the levels of cortisol in the body. Scientists are continuing their research, focusing on finding out whether listening to a piece of music can enhance health conditions and inhibit disease. But then, several stories were already shared, confirming that music can work effectively in reducing stress. There can be no damage if you also consider music as a tool for your stress management. It was seen to work with other people, why will it not work in you?