Music has been a part of human life since prehistoric times. Even when our brains were not as developed as they are today, we would find interesting sounds and the musicality of tools and items to be amazing. Through acceptance and experimenting, prehistoric people were able to create sounds that would evolve into real music someday. The reason why even prehistoric people found it so amusing is that it had quite a soothing effect on both the mind and the body. You could say it was the first-ever stress relief in the world.
Today, many scientists around the planet have confirmed that music can directly affect a person’s mood, emotions and may even have a physical effect on the body. For example, putting on a song with a fast tempo may cause your heart to start beating faster. You could say that your body is starting to get hyped up and ready for anything. This is why a lot of athletes like to listen to fast tempo music before working out or before a competition. Of course, a slower tempo will have the opposite effect.
All of this tells us that music has quite the power and effect on the human mind and body. I think it is safe to say that it can be used as stress relief. If you’re looking for a new way to deal with your stress, I could help you understand how you can utilize the power of music.
What kind of genre should I listen to?
The first question is probably about which genre you should listen to. Well, you would think that classical music, slow rock, or light jazz will have the best effect on reducing stress, but things are not that simple. I believe that it heavily depends on the type of person we are talking about. If someone enjoys songs with a faster tempo, let’s say the metal genre, that person would probably not be able to relax with classical for example.
I guess you could say it really depends on your taste of sound. So, if you have a certain favorite genre, you should probably look for a solution for your stress in that certain genre. But, you should also experiment with a lot more songs and find out what works best for you.
Once you have found the right type of music to listen to help yourself relax, here are some things you can do to make things even more effective.
To learn about the benefits of music, check out Musicaroo.
Music while commuting
No one likes waking up early in the morning at 6 AM or 7 AM on Mondays. You feel tired, groggy and you probably just want to get back into bed for a couple more hours of sleep. Unfortunately, you can’t because you need to get up, get ready, eat some breakfast, and drive to work. To make your mornings worse, commuting is usually very frustrating and unnecessarily long.
But, there is something that you can do to make your early mornings a bit more bearable. Create a USB, a CD, or a playlist on Spotify with your favorite artists and songs and get it ready for your mornings. Every time you get into your car, popped that CD in or plugging your phone and press play. I’m sure that the commuting experience will be much more relaxing when compared to what you experienced previously in the past.
Even if you do not drive your own car to work, you can just put on headphones or earphones and you will feel disconnected from the world and into the world of beautiful sounds. Once you get to work, you will have a much more productive day with a lot less stress.
While cleaning
I used to hate cleaning my home every single week. It took too much time, it was boring and I felt like I could be doing something much more productive. But, hygiene is very important, and cleaning your home is vital for a healthy environment. So, to make things much easier for myself, I decided to put on some headphones and start cleaning away.
I immediately noticed that I was much more efficient and faster while cleaning at home just because I was listening to music while doing my chore. It is two birds with one stone. You get the satisfaction of cleaning your home and you get the stress relief through your headphones.
While cooking
Cooking can be a fun activity, but only when you’re in the mood or when you’re hungry. Having to cook a unique meal every single day can get boring and frustrating. Especially when trying to eat healthier food. Preparing healthy food takes a bit more effort and time from the day.
However, you can make things more bearable, interesting, and efficient if you decide to listen to some music while cooking. You will feel more energetic which will ultimately lead you to feel a bit hungrier after cooking.
I can’t claim which genre you will enjoy the most while cooking, but I personally love listening to some old-school rock such as Queen or the Beatles. Try out several artists and you will find the one you love most. If you can’t seem to find anything that keeps your energy levels high, you could try using online radio such as chillout radio to discover new artists.
Before sleep
Most people wouldn’t believe this, but music can also help you get better sleep throughout the night. Of course, you shouldn’t be listening to anything loud while you’re sleeping, but having a quick music session right before you go to bed, you will have a much easier time falling asleep.
The reason why this happens is that the songs will get both your mind and your body relaxed and prepared to enter a deep state of sleep. Although, this method may not work for everyone. It is a bit more specific.
I would suggest trying to implement music in almost every segment of your life and I’m sure you’ll notice quite a positive difference.
