Certain genres of lyric-less music, like classical and ambient, are historically the subject of most research studies into music and stress. While there’s evidence that they can reduce stress and anxiety, that doesn’t mean they’re “better†than other genres of music. Ongoing or chronic stress can lead to developing an anxiety disorder, depression, chronic pain, and more. Music has been widely studied and revered throughout human history for its ability to both entertain and heal.
Jackson says that it can also increase the release of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine in your brain, which can reduce stress and, as a result, help you feel more relaxed. Plus, she adds, “When we listen to music, our mood improves, and we feel happier.†Check out these breathing exercises that can help you relax in minutes. It is of great interest that the lowest concentrations of cortisol were observed in the acoustic control condition (i.e. listening to the sound of rippling water). Given that, to the best of our knowledge, no study so far has investigated the effects of natural sounds on stress-related HPA axis responses, we did not anticipate this outcome. The sound of rippling water was equally preferred Deep Sleep Music and perceived as relaxing as music by our participants.
He composes tonal music that is full of emotion and color, with reassuring repetition. Many different types of music are very effective at relaxing the mind, including drums, flutes, Celtic, Indian stringed, and Native American. At the very least, music serves as a distraction from the stressors of our lives. Beyond that, music helps us explore our emotions, which makes music a great aid to meditation.
For example, in 2017 the National Institutes of Health partnered with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to announce the Sound Health Initiative. This program initiative supports research that focuses on the use of music in health care settings and has already funded several projects. Night-time noise, whether it’s from roads, airplanes, or noisy neighbors, can decrease sleep efficiency and is linked to several adverse health consequences including cardiovascular disease. Music can help to drown out these environmental noises and increase sleep efficiency.
And even mild anxiety can have a negative effect on our ability to lead a productive life. It can interfere with being able to enjoy the simple things in life. The State and Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to assess anxiety. The STAI consists of two 20-items questionnaires which assess state respectively trait levels of anxiety in clinical and non-clinical populations. The STAI-state was used as a continuous measurement for possible changes in anxiety during the experiment.