Listening to music is powerful. It can set the mood in certain situations, bring back nostalgic memories, and in some cases, even help relieve stress.
In fact, the power of music for stress relief can be incredible. As it influences us with its relaxing effects on our minds and bodies, in turn, it also helps to relieve stress. This means listening to music just might be the answer for those who are looking to melt their stresses away.
If you are looking for more information about how to manage stress? Check out our in-depth guide that details a variety of stress management techniques.
Let’s dive into the topic a little further!
How Listening to Music Can Help Relieve Stress
Relaxation is maximized with music
Stress can be reduced and relaxation maximized with the use of music, particularly when it is classical music. This slow and quiet genre has an effect on physiological functions as the pulse and heart rate are slowed down.
Blood pressure can also be decreased along with stress hormones when listening to classical music. This makes for a relaxing experience and a great way to manage the common stresses that pop up in our lives.
Music is also known to have a deep effect on our emotions. Slower tempos can help to silence the mind and relax muscles, making music an effective stress management tool.
Music can provide a distraction
Sometimes you need something to take your mind off of your stresses. Music can be a great tool for providing distractions as it absorbs attention and diverts focus.
Music can be a great addition to meditation as it helps to keep the mind from wandering and helps to provide relaxation. The choice of music will be different for all of us, as everyone is unique in how music affects them. It will also depend on the mood we're in at the time.
Music might even be a helpful distraction to those who are anxious or are experiencing pain. Distractions can be great for taking the mind off of more difficult situations and making you feel a lot better during them.
Speaking of anxiety, click here for 9 Tips for Anxiety Relief to Help You Feel Your Best.
Listening to music can increase productivity
Now, talking opposite to music as a distraction – music can also be a tool for increasing productivity. Confusing, right?
The type of music is really what matters when it comes to slowing down or speeding up productivity.
Faster music can help you to feel more alert and help to increase productivity. More upbeat music can also help you to feel more optimistic and help you to better maintain a positive mind set.
When your stress levels are high, it might seem natural to try to stay away from listening to music in order to solve your stresses. But listening to music is great for reducing stress and increasing productivity, or can at least assist in helping you towards it.
You might make music a part of your everyday routine to help calm your stress, by listening to it in the car, while exercising, or while taking your morning shower. Including music as you go about your day is a great way to reduce stress or be better prepared for it when it comes your way.
Certain music can help with sleep
Losing sleep is a common problem for those who suffer from stress.
Music can help with generating sleep as it can have an impact on physical, psychological and emotional states which contribute to the success of sleep. When you are too alert or excited before bed, it becomes a lot more difficult to shift into a sleep state.
Listening to soothing music is a great way to help you wind down and relax before slumber. Sleep quality can also be boosted as wake up times during the night become less. You will wake up feeling much more refreshed in the morning as your body remains calm throughout the night.
Relaxing music can trigger the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain. Your journey towards sleep is improved as your heart rate can be lowered and breathing slowed down.
Sweet dreams!
Listening to music can help to keep the brain young
Aging isn’t just physical, it’s mental as well. It’s important to keep your mind sharp, which is one of the great benefits listening to music can provide.
Listening to music helps to activate your entire brain and helps you to further develop your brain ‘muscle’. As you listen to music, your brain works to distinguish between different instruments that are playing the same note. Certain parts of the brain also help you to interpret the emotional content of music.
Keeping the brain young is vital for longevity. If you're looking for biohacking stress techniques to help keep your brain young, check out our biohacking stress guide.
Your brain gets a full workout with music as many of its parts become engaged. When your brain is fully engaged, its functionality is improved and skills are enhanced – keeping your brain fresh and young!
Singing along to music is great for the soul
If you’ve ever belted out your favorite song then you know how good singing along to music can be for the soul. Sometimes it just feels necessary in order to push through a more difficult time.
Singing along is a great way to release tension and make yourself feel good. When you feel good, you’re more likely to relax and let go of your stress. This then helps you to deal with stressful times in a more calm and organized fashion.
More scientifically put, when you are stressed, the cortisol hormone in your body increases. As you sing along to music, the level of cortisol in your body decreases and tension is eased. Pick your favorite song, and let it all out!
Music and Xen: Wellness Technology
Xen by Neuvana may create happier, healthier, more balanced lives through vagus nerve stimulation, simply by leveraging how the brain, body and nervous system work together.
Using the Xen wellness technology, you can pair Xen’s vagus nerve stimulation with your favorite music, which may enhance the effects. Xen syncs to your music library, Spotify®, Pandora®, and most other streaming apps.
Easily customize your sessions to choose different stimulation waveforms and sensations with the Neuvana app, all while you listen to your music or go about your day. Want to learn more? Click here to read about the science behind Xen.
