Mind Relaxation
The brain converts these sound waves into electrochemical nerve signals—and this is where sound really strikes a chord. From self-help books to aromatherapy, apps to weighted blankets, we've compiled the 11 best anxiety relief products of 2021. Doctors may refer to the parasympathetic side as “rest and digest,” since it takes care of things when the body is at rest, while sympathetic is “fight or flight,” in charge of the body in motion. Music may be one way to help manage them and their troublemaking. In one recent experiment, participants were asked to press a button anytime the hand on a special clock started moving.
This kind of casual music-making can short-circuit the stress response, research shows, and keep it from becoming chronic. Stress starts in the brain and then kicks off a chain reaction that switches on the stress response in every cell of our bodies. Over time, these cellular switches can get stuck in the "on" position, leading to feelings of burnout, anger, or depression as well as a host of physical ailments. Along with inducing stress, Loewy says, the wrong music can promote rumination or other unhelpful mental states. One 2015 study from Finland found that music can bolster negative emotions—like anger, aggression or sadness—much the same way it can counteract these feelings.
"Music-making is linked to a number of health benefits for older adults," said Suzanne Hanser, chair of the music therapy department at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition to helping human beings experience positive emotions, listening to music has also been associated with improving our physical health and well-being. There is good reason to believe that even more benefits are gained from music therapy when it is used not as a random activity, but as an intentional strategy to improve health and well-being.
Not only does it help people with shaking off their feelings of stress, but studies have also found that music can improve mental focus, improve the immune system, and help regulate pain. Another study—this one focused on cancer patients—concluded that singing can lower cortisol levels and improve mood through the release of endorphins. Music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body. relaxing sounds Faster music can make you feel more alert and concentrate better. Upbeat music can make you feel more optimistic and positive about life.
When you are stressed, your body responds by releasing hormones such as cortisol. Scientists were interested in how music affects stress levels. A study from Austria’s General Hospital of Salzburg found that patients recovering from back surgery had increased rates of healing and reported less pain when music was incorporated into the standard rehabilitation process.
Conversely, naturalistic sounds, such as the ebb and flow of the ocean tide or leaves rustling in the wind, are reported as promoting relaxation. Researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School did a sound study on 17 healthy adults. The nature sounds correlated with an increase in the autonomic nervous system’s parasympathetic response or “rest-digest” response, which helps the body relax and function in normal circumstances. Thanks to science, this emotional range isn’t just anecdotal. Listening to music comes with tangible benefits, including a direct correlation between music and stress relief. Understanding the chemical reactions in your brain relating to sound is key to unlocking the calming magic of music.