The Power Of Music

We often associate different genres of music with our various moods, such as ballads to sadness, heavy metal to anger, or upbeat pop to happiness. No matter what types of music you listen to, there’s something that they all have in common: calming effects. Yes, even hardcore rock music. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how this wonderful little thing called music calms even the most heated of us down.

According to research at Stanford University, listening to music has the same ability to change brain functioning and moods as much as pharmaceutical medication does. In other words, it can act as treatment for panic disorders and anxiety attacks for those who suffer from their respective illnesses. The big difference is that music is available all around us and is inexpensive (or sometimes technically free), as technology has allowed music to become a big part of our lives. On top of that, some anxiety medication and painkillers may have some side effects, and as far as we know, music is probably the last thing that could pose as a threat to our health.

As we’ve established before, we have a way of linking certain types of music to different moods. The reason for this is that music is able to influence us psychologically and physiologically, meaning that it can impact both our minds and our bodies. Because of this, music therapy has become more and more widely used all over the world to heal and treat patients with mental disorders, and even chronic pain. When paired with the use of biofeedback techniques, music can be very effective in relieving tension and relaxation, due to endorphins (known as the “happy chemical”) being released. So through music therapy, people are able to identify and express the feelings associated with their stress.

Even though we all have different types of music that we know can calm us down, here are some of them that are known to reduce stress the best:

• Native American, Celtic, Indian stringed-instruments, drums and flutes

• sounds of rain, thunder and nature sounds

• light jazz, classical and easy listening music

If you still haven’t found the right music that can calm you down, don’t worry! After venturing to various genres of music, you’ll eventually discover the perfect one.

Sources:

1. Van Edwards, Vanessa. “The Benefits of Music: How the Science of Music Can Help You.” Science of People, 2 June 2020, www.scienceofpeople.com/benefits-music/ , Collingwood, Jane. “The Power of Music To Reduce Stress.” Psych Central, Psych Central, 17 May 2016, psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress#2