Under pressure? Relaxing music can help relieve stress

The parties that those college kids have, annoying people who play music on their phones without headphones, reality TV stars who decide that they want to be singers… Music may not always appear at the most opportune times, but there’s really nothing like relaxing music to help you relieve stress.

The famous neurologist Oliver Sacks said, “Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears – it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more – it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.” To back up this claim were going to show you how relaxing music can help relieve stress.

Relieves stress

When you listen to music, you let off biochemical substances that help you relieve stress and reduce muscle tension, which makes you feel more relaxed. Slow, classical music can have a beneficial effect on psychological functions and even slow our pulse and heart rate. Next time your feeling stressed out or need to relax a little bit, check out this relaxing playlist on YouTube. It’s great for reading, studying, or just sitting and relaxing. We can all agree that working or studying when we’re relaxed makes us more productive… So give it a try!

It brings you closer to yourself

Music helps you get in touch with your own feelings. A recent study included self-awareness as one of the benefits of listening to music. Getting in tune with your own emotions can help you to understand yourself and any problems that you may be experiencing. Put on some music and really think about what you’re feeling. Understanding ourselves in the first step to understanding the world. This can be done through relaxing meditation music.

It helps you sleep better

Classical music may be useful to help cure insomnia in college students, which is cheaper and healthier than taking sleeping pills. In some cases, music makes college kids stay up all night and party, but what can we say…they don’t let you sleep either. 

Insomnia can have a lot of negative secondary effects, like the inability to concentrate, irritability, and a whole ton more. Try listening to some classical music while you’re getting ready for bed… Put it on while you shower, brush your teeth… Listening to this type of relaxing music can help you unstress and prepared for bedtime.

Relieves pain

Music activates the neural pathways that relieve pain and keep your brain thinking about other things, which is why intense pain may seem more bearable. Next time you stub your toe, blast some Taylor Swift and see if the sound waves soothe you at all.

It motivates you

A University study showed that a group of people who rode static bikes were more motivated and worked harder when there was music.  Stressed people avoid actively listening to music, perhaps because it feels like a waste of time, however, it is proven that stress is reduced. Think about it… When you go to (or, more probable, walk by) a spin class at the gym, you can probably hear the music throughout the entire building. Music motivates us, but, as mentioned in the previous point, it also helps us manage pain. This is important while trying to endure a spin class. 

It can help fight against depression

Experts have shown that relaxing music can help relieve stress, although in this case, the genre is pretty important. Classical music, the music that is used to meditate, may improve your mood while heavy metal or techno won’t provide you with much relief. Check out this playlist to see how relaxing music can help relieve stress. Try putting it on for mindfulness, meditation, sleeping, or when you’re feeling particularly stressed.

Research on relaxing music

Researchers and scientists have been using music for hundreds of years to treat diseases and keep the balance between mind and body.

Recently they found that music structure can bring security and order to disabled children. It encourages communication and improves their life. Also, listening to music with headphones reduces stress and anxiety in surgical patients.

Music is proven to help reduce pain chronic and postoperative pain. As well as, it can reduce burnout and improve moods. And it can also help cancer patients, by boosting the quality of life.

Relaxing Music or Music as Therapy

Relaxing music can be used for therapeutic reasons. It can be used as a biofeedback tool or to practice guided imagery or roleplaying to reduce anxiety symptoms. All these techniques require a trained therapist. Music can also be an asset in emotional intelligence, particularly when identifying emotions and expressing feelings. Discussing lyrics or music in a group can also be beneficial for certain therapies (for example in eating disorder groups).

References

Good M. A comparison of the effects of jaw relaxation and music on postoperative
pain. Nursing Research, Vol. 44, Jan/Feb 1995, pp. 52-57.

Bittman B. B. Recreational music-making: an integrative group intervention for reducing burnout and improving mood states in first-year associate degree nursing students: insights and economic impact. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, published online July 9, 2004.

Waldon E. G. The effects of group music therapy on mood states and cohesiveness in adult oncology patients. Journal of Music Therapy, Vol. 38, Fall 2001, pp. 212-38.

Burns D. S. The effect of the Bonny method of guided imagery and music on the mood and life quality of cancer patients. Journal of Music Therapy, Vol. 38, Spring 2001, pp. 51-65.

Rauscher F. H., Shaw G. L. and Ky K. N. Music and spatial task performance. Nature, Vol. 365, October 14, 1993, p. 611.