How Does Music Relieve Stress

Music has always been revered for its ability to relieve stress. There is something rather relaxing about listening to your favorite music. The stress-relieving component of music is something we are all familiar with from personal experience and common knowledge. Music seems to have a direct link to our emotions that has the ability to calm our nerves and release tension. However, many of us do not understand the actual mechanisms and science behind this wonderful ability of music.

On a physiological level, music has the measurable ability to reduce our body's natural responses to stress. When we are excited or stressed, we begin to sweat and our heart starts beating faster. Music has the amazing ability to reduce our heart rate and relax our pulse. As a result, our blood pressure is reduced which is important for our overall health in addition to reducing stress. Also, music has been found to reduce the amount of stress hormones in individuals. This finding is particularly interesting as hearing music can alter our physiological processes to some degree. Studies have also proved that hearing music can encourage communication and coordination in the disabled.

Another way in which music helps relieve stress is through meditation. Because of music's ability to distract us from competing thoughts or noisy environments, it can be used to facilitate meditation. In this sense, music can help individuals to concentrate on their thoughts and emotions without being distracted. Music seems to have the ability to put us into a trance of Zen-like concentration. Not only can this component help to relieve stress, it can also improve our psychological nature overall.

While there are varying tastes and preferences with regards to music, slow and mild music has been proven to work the best with facilitating or accompanying meditation. However, singing loudly or screaming along with upbeat music can also be a great stress reliever. Instead of calming down and tuning out, this form of stress relief comes as a catharsis. Some music has the ability to get people energetic. While this may seem counterintuitive to stress relief at first, it is the relaxation and relief that follows these outbursts that has been known to reduce anxiety and stress. Think about it as the calm after the storm.

While stress relief is an incredible component of music, it is important to remember that there are countless advantages and benefits to learning music. First and foremost, learning to play an instrument or singing can enhance our learning capacity and memory. Additionally, music offers a great source of creativity and self-expression. This is an important factor for an individual of any age. Music also provides people with great opportunities to meet others and participate in groups, shows, bands and more. While music may not always be our number one priority, it is important to make time in your schedule for this amazing miracle. Whether you learn to play an instrument or simply listen with headphones, music has the ability to relieve stress and change your life.

Relieving stress is just one of the many benefits of learning music. Check out Kenmore Piano Studio to learn about other potential benefits!