How can music help you reduce stress

“Once again, she was free. Once again, she found peace. It was music that freed her soul from the dungeon of her mind.” ― Wiss Auguste, The Illusions of Hope.

Between all the hustle-bustle in the city, the loud noise in the traffic, negotiating the crowd, fast-paced lifestyle, personal and professional pressure, along with many other factors makes us more susceptible to stress. Again living in a metropolitan city, we often encounter people of different age-groups listening to music with or without their headphones, be it while commuting or at the comfort of their home. It is not just I, that finds music as a form of escapism but the others too.

While most of us listen to music for entertainment, music can also have a profound therapeutic effect on one’s both physical and mental conditions. Based on contemporary research music has a vital power to reduce stress , anxiety and helps relieve pain. It has been found that some factors of music's nature can support in restoring the body and mind back to a more relaxed, restful state. Music can also help transform negative emotions into more positive ones, reducing stress and fostering a sense of improved, overall well-being. Given this, music is frequently used in healthcare services, both physical and mental, a quick and efficient way to manage stress is to include music in your self-care routine.

Music's effect on emotions

A variety of emotions can be evoked by music. When you listen to the songs that many musicians compose, you experience the same feelings that they did while writing them. While some songs are upbeat and cause excitement, others are slow and calm and induce sadness or relaxation. You probably have songs that make you feel angry or nostalgic in addition to the above. It is obvious that music has a significant effect on how you feel.

We also use different types of music for different purposes. As we have a special connection with our favorite songs and genres, we can use those to evoke particular emotions and feelings specific to that relationship. For instance:

Classical music is thought to have a calming, soothing effect.

Rap music can be uplifting and motivating when you're feeling down or dealing with adversity in your life.

You can "enhance identity development" and improve your social skills by listening to heavy metal music.

Music on Mental Health

Improved Mood and Reduced Stress

Improving mood and reducing stress are two advantages of using music to manage stress . According to research, listening to music can have a positive effect on our brain chemistry, elevating our mood and reducing feelings of anxiety.

Additionally, listening to music can act as a diversion from negative thoughts, and emotions , offering a brief respite from ongoing stress. Engaging in enjoyable activities, like listening to music, can elevate mood and reduce stress.

Reduced Burnout

The use of music in the workplace has prevented burnout to a significant extent. According to a six-week study by Trusted Source, employees' levels of stress and emotional exhaustion decreased after a month of daily 30-minute music listening sessions at work.

Reduced stress in Children

A 2021 analysis of articles from 2009 to 2019 revealed that children's stress levels prior to and during medical procedures were significantly reduced by music.

There are different ways in which we can incorporate music into our lives, Let's dive into a few pointers which can help us cope with the daily life stressors around us.

Declutter your surroundings.

Cleaning your surroundings, whether it's your desk, a room, or your entire house, can frequently help reduce stress. However, it doesn't change the fact that cleaning requires energy. The probability is that you wouldn't want to do it when you get home from a long day. Your energy level would in fact rise if you play some upbeat, energizing music in the background. You will reduce any feelings of stress by cleaning and listening to enjoyable music.

While working or studying

You must be wondering how music could probably help one while studying or working. We are easily distracted by things around us, Likewise, it's easy to let negative thoughts dominate our work or study life. That might involve us overthinking a task or worrying about a test that's coming up. By making playlists of our favorite songs or even by listening to music without lyrics, you can use music to relieve stress. it can help us concentrate better and get rid of those negative emotions.

Music as Meditation

The slow tempo of meditation music often lowers anxiety and stress levels as well as heart rale. Guided meditation entails listening to music with a speaker or a narrator that directs your energy flow and focuses or uses positive affirmations.

In the modern era with the advancement in technology, music has reached many people through various gadgets such as radios, iPods, speakers, etc, With such advancement, we often forget about the music that nature provides - listening to the

birds/insects chirping, Sound of ocean waves, Rain pouring down, breeze gushing through the trees, and many more, the nature’s gift of music can be used as a natural way of reducing stress.

, but today studies show that music is one of the best ways to reduce induced stress in our day-to-day life. The question that lies beneath all of this is did music really was just a medium of entertainment in the olden times or it was used as a mode to calm the kings, clergies, and soldiers before they went for the battle on the ground? Let's brainstorm on this with some soft music in the background.