![]() ![]() ![]() That stands in contrast to other, more stress-provoking forms of distraction like social media, where there’s no limit to the content. ![]() Why? Ringgold says music gives you a closed-ended respite from the present moment, meaning the song or album you’re listening to has a straightforward beginning and end. “Since music triggers a pleasure response, our brain is all too happy to focus on a music signal to the exclusion of anything else.” “B ecause music cognition is so complex for the human brain, it offers an easy distraction or diversion from any competing internal or external stress stimuli,” he explains. But popping on a playlist can help, says Ringgold. While grounding yourself in the present moment can be a helpful way to overcome anxiety about the past or future, it might not feel so good if the source of your stress is happening in the here and now. “The only place in time this occurs is in the present because that is where our bodies are, and we at least have some control over our bodies.” “The mind prefers to focus on situations where it has some semblance of control,” he explains. How do you get that feeling of control back? He suggests moving to the music, whether that’s literally dancing or just tapping, snapping or clapping along to the beat. Stress is often the result of ruminating over something that’s happened in the past or worrying about the future, both of which can make you feel like you lack control, says Ringgold. When stress can’t be expressed solely through language, explains Ringgold, the physical and mental act of making music can allow you to get those feelings out of your body and mind. This is especially important when you’re experiencing a prolonged fight-or-flight state, which can cause uncomfortable symptoms like a fast heart rate, tense muscles and sweating. “It’s like a two for one.”Ĭreating music can be an effective way to express compressed energy or emotions, says Ringgold. “The brain releases pleasure chemicals, and the body slows its rhythms,” he notes. That’s why he recommends listening to slow music (60 to 80 BPM) if you’re feeling anxious: The relaxed tempo will help moderate your body’s functioning to bring you down from that heightened nervous state. For instance, the tempo of the music you’re listening to can automatically slow down or speed up your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing, says Ringgold. Not only can music calm your nervous system via your hormones, but it can also help ease stress by influencing your biological processes. Music Takes Your Nervous System Down a Beat “This pleasure response is our brain’s way of saying, ‘Do that again!’”Ģ. “When we listen to music, or we make music, the reward center of our brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with reward and motivation,” says Ringgold. Music also helps boost feel-good chemicals in your brain. Research shows that cortisol production decreases when you listen to music, which Ringgold says can help take the edge off of that fight-or-flight response. Įxcess cortisol fuels your stress levels, and music can help keep them in check. And the same goes for making music research shows that creating can help release emotion, decrease anxiety and improve overall mental health. Studies have found that listening to music can help calm your nervous system and lower cortisol levels, both of which can help reduce stress. Interestingly, music can help mitigate these effects and help keep stress and anxiety in check. Ringgold explains that excess cortisol not only makes you feel anxious mentally, but can also lead to physical problems like excessive inflammation and compromised immune system function. But in the case of socio-emotional threats like work burnout, a breakup, or an ongoing pandemic, your body releases those stress hormones chronically. In physically threatening situations, like if you’re being chased by an angry bear, cortisol is helpful: It triggers a fight or flight response in your nervous system to help you escape the bear in one piece. But you’re not alone: About a fifth of American adults report high levels of psychological distress due to the pandemic and its impact on their physical, emotional and financial health, according to 2021 data from Pew Research Center.īut what is stress, exactly? On a biological level, your body responds to stressful situations by releasing hormones like cortisol, says Tim Ringgold, M.T.-B.C., a music therapist with New Method Wellness and the author of Sonic Recovery: Harness the Power of Music to Stay Sober. Odds are you’ve felt stressed lately, between the pandemic, work burnout, social anxiety and more. This article is brought to you as part of the ASCAP Wellness Program. ![]()
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