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.

You don’t have to become a pro, just take a few lessons. Specially trained music therapists use music to help alleviate pain in inpatient and outpatient settings. A 2016 meta-analysis of over 90 studies reported that music helps people manage both acute and chronic pain better than medication alone. Researchers now know that just the promise of listening to music can make you want to learn more. In one 2019 study, people were more motivated to learn when they expected to listen to a song as their reward. Although music therapy is not a cure for depression, it can offer short-term benefits by improving mood and encouraging connection and self-expression.

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. 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 waterfall relaxation 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.