Music has proven to be an effective tool for improving the physical and mental health of an individual. Neuroscientists have discovered musical compositions for better heart rate, reduced anxiety, brain stimulation and better learning. Today we are going to reveal the name of a musical piece that can reduce anxiety and stress by 65% according to a study.
When things get tough at work, at school, or on a personal level, some will play sports while others will run to the shops for shopping. But science continues to impress us because it proves that there is a simpler way to reduce your anxiety and calm your nerves.
When music can heal people
It is called music therapy, it is a well-established health profession in which music is used in a therapeutic relationship to meet the physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals. After evaluating the strengths and needs of each patient, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment, including creating, singing, moving and / or listening to music. Through musical participation in the therapeutic context, patients' capacities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives. Music therapy also provides means of communication that can be useful to those who have difficulty expressing themselves with words.
The music was used in hospitals after the two world wars as part of the treatment program for convalescent soldiers. Clinical music therapy in Britain, as it is understood today, was launched in the 1960s and 1970s.
Music therapists use their techniques to help their patients in many areas, from stress relief before and after surgery to neuropathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. One study found that children who listened to music while having an intravenous drip inserted in their arm showed less distress and felt less pain than children who did not listen to music while having an IV.
Other studies have been conducted on patients with different mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia, and their mental health status improved significantly after treatment.
In the United Kingdom, research was conducted with participants who attempted to solve difficult puzzles as quickly as possible while being connected to sensors. The puzzles caused a certain amount of stress and the participants listened to different songs while researchers measured brain activity as well as physiological states, including heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate.
According to Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson of Mindlab International, who conducted the research, the song that produced the greatest state of relaxation that all other pieces are "Weightless". In fact, it reduced the participants' overall anxiety by 65% and their usual physiological rest rate by 35%.
It is interesting to know that the group that created "Weightless", Marconi Union, did it in collaboration with sound therapists. Its carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines help slow the listener's heartbeat, lower blood pressure, and lower the stress hormone cortisol.
In this age of constant stress, the science is clear: if you want your mind and body to last, you need to rest them. Music is an easy way to ease the pressure of all those everyday worries that can make you feel stressed and anxious.