Music Heals
Fill in the blanks:
When I’m sad I like to listen to__________________
When I’m really mad I listen to ____________________
When I’m really happy, I turn on _____________________
We naturally turn to music to elicit a response. Sometimes we want to cry, scream, or dance with joy- and music can take us there. When we are experiencing stress, music is a powerful antidote.
Researchers have found that listening to relaxing music reduces both our perception of stress, and our physiological stress responses. Listening to music before a known stressful event can help reduce the experience of stress during the event, and listening to music immediately after a stressful experience, or in the middle of a stressful period of time, can create a faster psychobiological recovery. Listening to music is satiating. It creates the same chemical responses that we experience when we satisfy a food, or other craving.
Relaxing music:
Improves rest and sleep
Reduces heart rate
Lowers blood pressure
Reduces cortisol levels
Reduces perception of pain
While we know this innately, we don’t always use it to our advantage.
What researchers recommend for reducing stress and improving mood:
Look for music that plays at 60 BPM - this signals the brain to produce alpha waves that induce calm and relaxation
Apple Music, Spotify, and Youtube are just a few places you can find curated playlists of music at 60 BPM
The following types of music/sounds have been found to be the most effective at inducing calm
Native American, Celtic, Indian
Stringed-instruments, drums, and flutes
Natural Sounds: rain, thunder, waves, especially when combined with music
Light jazz, classical, easy listening
Tips for using music to improve your mood:
Create mood playlists: pairing music to your mood can help you experience a catharsis
Sing- singing requires intentional breath, which compounds the stress relieving effects
Dance - movement, especially celebratory movement like dance, causes an increase in endorphins- improving our mood
Play - playing an instrument, whether you are trained or just experimenting, can help you express and release emotions
Resources: