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Music has been utilized for centuries to restore harmony between the mind and body. In recent decades, researchers have quantified the health benefits of music, particularly concerning stress reduction and relaxation induction.
Stress can increase the risk or exacerbate serious health issues such as anxiety, asthma, depression, gastrointestinal problems, heart diseases, and obesity. Conversely, being in a relaxed state can help counteract all these—and more.
While melodies alone may not cure stress-related illnesses and conditions, studies show that the benefits of music include stress alleviation and relaxation encouragement. Music connects with the autonomic nervous system—the brain function, blood pressure, and heart rate—and the limbic system, where your feelings and emotions reside.
When feeling threatened, your nervous system releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Listening to music can switch the stress response to “off” and help your mind and emotions recover from stress faster than they would without music. Beyond music to sounds… Just as music can impact mood and the nervous system, so can various sounds.
For example, have you ever tried to have a deep conversation with a friend in a crowded café, where baristas shout drink orders, the espresso machine blares, patrons shift chairs squeakily on the floor, children cry, and everyone around you tries to have competing-volume conversations? It can be challenging—not just because you can’t hear what your friend is saying. You might notice feeling anxious due to the auditory pollution, described as any unwanted or bothersome sounds.
Excessive unwanted noise can lead to a range of health issues, including stress and anxiety. In contrast, natural sounds like ocean waves ebbing and flowing or rustling leaves in the wind are reported to promote relaxation. Researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School conducted a robust study on 17 healthy adults.
Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, which measure brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow, while listening to a series of five-minute soundscapes from natural and artificial environments. Nature sounds correlated with an increase in the parasympathetic response of the autonomic nervous system or the “rest-digest” response, which helps the body relax and function normally.
The best types of music and sounds for relaxation… Some research points to the following types of music and sounds as effective stress reducers:
– Light jazz and classical music
– Native American, Celtic, and Indian with string instruments, drums, and flutes
– Rain, wind, and other nature sounds
Neurologists in the UK conducted a study where participants connected to sensors attempted to quickly solve stressful puzzles while listening to different melodies. Researchers measured brain activity and physiological states such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate.
Overall participant anxiety decreased by 65% while listening to a specific melody: “Weightless” by Marconi Union. As it turns out, the piece was crafted in collaboration with sound therapists who carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and basslines to help slow the listener’s heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.
Will “Weightless” – or smooth jazz, Native American drums, or rain and thunder sounds – significantly reduce your anxiety levels? That’s for you to figure out. If you’re feeling angry, you might find you need a few minutes with heavily distorted guitars and aggressive, deep death metal vocals to help you process your emotions so you can then feel a sense of release and relaxation afterward. You’re the expert on which types of music and sounds reduce stress or evoke relaxation in you. Try different tunes and sounds to see what resonates.
**It’s not just about listening**
As much as listening to music or sounds can ease tension and help you relax, so can making music alone or with others. When you play an instrument or sing, your body releases endorphins, which are chemicals that make you feel happy.
A study led by Dr. James Hudziak, a psychiatry professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, showed that playing an instrument helped children, aged 6 to 18, reduce feelings of anxiety and gain greater control over their emotions. Another study – this one focused on cancer patients – concluded that singing can lower cortisol levels and improve mood by releasing endorphins.
**When to turn to music for unwinding**
You can sit quietly and do nothing but listen or create music or sounds to relax. However, music and sounds can also serve as a soundtrack for your activities. If these activities are particularly challenging in nature or induce stress, music can reset the cortisol response so you can, at the very least, find neutrality in the activity and, at best, enjoy it more. Here are six occasions you might want to create a personalized playlist for!
1. **As you prepare for your day** – If the next day includes a big presentation or a tough conversation, some tunes might ease your nerves and even shift them into feelings of confidence and compassion, so you’re better prepared to tackle known stressors and any unexpected ones that might arise.
2. **During a commute** – Road rage leads you nowhere but to a place of increased stress and anxiety. Music can help release some built-up tension and also help you reframe negative thoughts about the commute itself (e.g., how rude other drivers are, how long the train or bus ride feels like wasted time) into thoughts focused on how great the music makes you feel.
3. **While doing chores** – While it can feel rewarding to come home to a clean house, finding the energy to do what’s needed to get to that result can feel like another thing on the seemingly endless to-do list. Music can be a great motivator and help make even the most mundane or mundane tasks feel more fun. If you’ve never had an impromptu dance party to your favorite song while vacuuming, give it a try and see how you feel afterward.
4. **During a significant life change** – Significant life events – getting a new job, losing a job, moving, getting married, breaking up with someone, breaking up with someone, having a child, retiring, losing someone to death – all involve change. Whether the change is underscored by happy or sad emotions, change itself often triggers the fight or flight response. Assigning a song, type of music, or complete playlist to major changes can help you navigate through the associated emotions so you can eventually move past them.
5. **While eating** – Eating too quickly or eating while stressed can interfere with digestion, and solid digestion is essential for health and well-being. Listening to relaxing music or soothing sounds while eating can help you nosh more mindfully.
6. **While on a deadline** – Racing against the clock to meet a project deadline can feel exhilarating and motivating. However, there’s also an element of stress that can arise, especially if you feel you might be cutting it close and your boss might be upset. Because calming music activates both the right and left sides of the brain, it’s known to improve focus, which can get you to the finish line faster.
As you wind down for bedtime: Adequate sleep basics can help you fare better with stress. Research shows that during rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep – when dreams occur – stress hormones decrease, and the brain is primed for the social and emotional functioning of the next day. However, stress can interfere with sleep. Soothing melodies and sounds can help slow your breathing and relax your mind. Before going to bed, some people start white noise machines, which produce natural sounds like rushing waterfalls or wind blowing through trees, to help them fall into