“One good thing about music, is when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
Music can have a deep effect on both emotions and body. Your body reacts to the kind and tempo of the music you listen to. You feel positive, a smooth tempo can relax your mind and muscles. Music is effective for relaxation and stress management. Music has been used to treating illness for years. It can restore harmony between mind and body.
Even researchers confirm that music can help us in different ways. “Many a time, music is being used alongside other therapies, particularly in patients suffering from depression and anxiety. Music is also being used as a part of therapy for children suffering from autism,” explained by Dr Sameer Malhotra, Director from Max Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi.
Music reduces levels of stress hormone called Cartisol. And Dopamine is one such hormone that is involved in producing pleasurable sensations, thus enhancing positive emotions and reducing stress/depression. Music Therapy covers all aspects, physical, spiritual, emotional.
Research suggests that music can help in these, for a kick off:
1. Increase workout endurance: Listening to top beat workout tracks can boost physical performance. And can increase endurance during exercise sessions.
2. Improve sleep quality: Listening to some smooth and classical music can help in treating insomnia effectively.
3. Enhance the functioning of body: Music helps in relaxing body functioning. Music tracks can ease pain. And slow music produces a greater relaxation effect.
4. Stress Management: Music can trigger the biochemical stress reducers and these physiological processes act as anti stress therapy. Even listening to slow musical beats can alter brainwave speed.
5. Helps in depressive state of mind: Music can therapeutically help reduce feelings of loneliness and helplessness. It helps in relieving symptoms of depression. Classical sounds can help in mood up-lifting.
6. Reduce anxiety: Music’s effect on anxiety levels is similar to the effect of getting a message.
7. Help Cancer patients: Music can help cancer patients in communicating their feelings, manage stress, and ease physical pain and discomfort. And can improve quality of life.
8. Surgery: Listening to music reduces stress and anxiety in patients before and after surgery.
9. Meditation: Calming music is for meditation and can help the mind slow down and feel relaxed. Nature sounds such as flowing or cascading water, birdsongs, rain, thunderstorms etc are used for releasing stressful thoughts.
Here’s an Mobile App, Android Relax Melodies, and on iOS Relax Melodies, with a list of beautiful calm, serene sounds to help you relax. You can listen to this either when you work, travel, about to sleep, or just while reading a book.