Music Melts Away Stress

Whenever I am stressed I know one thing that always seems to allow me to forget for even just a small four minutes.  Walking to class, hanging out with friends, or even just hanging out in my room one thing that always makes any situation easier is always music.  I love listening to any kind and I wondered why whenever I was stressed that the music I listened to always seemed to calm me down.

One type of music will always sooth you no matter what state you are in as long as you really listen to it; this is classical.  Yes, I know that classical isn’t necessarily “in” and listening to Beethoven and Mozart isn’t necessarily the cool thing to do but sometimes it is necessary.  This type of music slows down your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and decreases the stress hormone.

Through this I figured that different music can be used to help you deal with different things.  After researching more I figured out that this is true! Faster music can be used to make you feel more alert and concentrate better.  Athletes will also know that this type of music will help pump you up before games.  Being an athlete myself, the music we listened to while getting ready for games always got me more focused and ready for game time.  When listening to upbeat music, no matter if you have had an awful day will make you feel at least a little more optimistic than you were before.

I was stunned to figure out what music relieved stress the most: Native American, Celtic, and flutes.  These are extremely effective because for some reason sounding like nature soothes the body and takes away a lot of the stress.  According to this site, to get completelyUnknown calm though, you have to listen to music for at least 45 minutes to get the desired effect.

study shows that as well as reducing stress, listening music can also boost the immune system.  It was tested in patients and when they listened to music, it helped them to improve their conditions.  It helped
soothe the patients in the emergency room and reduce some of the stresses in there because if you have never been in one, which I hope that you have never been in one, it can be a very stressful place.

Next time you are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed about something just listen to some of your favorite songs and some of the stress will just melt away.  It is a great way to distract yourself while always helping your brain release the stress hormones.

4 thoughts on “Music Melts Away Stress

  1. Celine Elizabeth Gosselin

    I do think that the type of music you listen to definitely matters. Music is designed to make its listeners feel a certain way, and not all of it leads to a state of calm. I have a go-to playlist for when I need to relax or de-stress. It includes quite a bit of classical music (Serenade for Strings mvt. 3 by Suk, Symphony No. 2 mvt. 3 by Borodin, Piano Trio No. 1 mvt. 2 by Saint Saens, etc.) as well as new age or solo piano music (Nocturne, Vesuvius, Painting the Sun, and The Enchantment by David Lanz are all good choices). Then there songs like “Wretches and Kings” by Linkin Park and “This Is War” by 30 Seconds to Mars that I usually play when I’m angry or pumped or need motivation. I agree with the statements that you made, but I think the types of music that do the best job of relaxing people need to be specified and studied more.

  2. Alyssa Hope Cooper

    This blog is very relatable. Whenever I am stressed, I also turn to music to sooth me. However, I don’t listen to classical. I listen to soothing slow music like waves crashing in the background. I find this music helps me focus and relieves my stress. Does listening to different types of music change based on the individual. For example, would a guy relieve more stress listening to rap and a girl relieve more stress listening to classical? Also, do songs without music relieve more stress than songs with lyrics?

  3. Millie Rachel Dweck

    THIS IS SO INTERESTING! Its interesting that it takes 45 minutes to fully calm you from listening to music. I have had times when music has calmed me in a shorter period, but maybe i wasn’t “completely” calm. I always knew that music could pump people up or calm people down, but I was never aware that there was statistical proof. This is a link of a study that shows how sad music can actually make people feel romantic rather than sad. Great job with the blog!

  4. Katie Anne Hagar

    So it sounds to me as though people have found music to be the independent variable (x) which causes stress relief, the dependent variable (y). I have experienced many emotions caused by music including calm and excitement, depending on the music. However, I would still like to know why I react this way? What is the mechanism that causes the emotions? Also, are there other things or sounds that could provoke the same feelings? Very interesting topic.

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