Is music effective in reducing stress and tension?

Feelings of fear and threat, regardless of whether we are actually in real danger (such as missiles from Iran) or a threat mainly to our sense of worth (“I’m sure I’ll fail the test”), trigger the activation of the “fight or run away”. This reaction includes the release of stress hormones such as cortisol, and an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and arousal level – due to the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for preparing the body for situations that require a quick response. The body’s natural response is designed to prepare us for physical threats, and allow for a quick response and increased vigilance that will help us survive. However, when the stressful situation continues, the body is under pressure for a long time, and for this reason, negative consequences A lot about our health and our mental well-being. In order to relax, we would like to restore balance to the body and activate the opposite system, the parasympathetic system, who is responsible On states of rest and relaxation and on growth and digestion processes.

dictation Originally published on the Davidson Institute for Science Education website

Music is used in the ceremonies of many culturesconnects people and affects their mood. The use of music as a therapeutic tool is not new: already in the days of ancient Greece The scholars commented To connect music, body and mind. But does this have a scientific basis? In scientific studies, we would like to examine data that can be evaluated quantitatively and use measuring devices, and not rely only on people describing their feelings. And music has indeed been studied scientifically: more than a hundred years ago studies were conducted that examined the effect of music on physiological functions. In a 1918 study It was found, for example, that listening to music affects blood pressure. This research was done with antiquated means compared to today’s measuring tools, but the results are consistent Many studies which examines the effect of music on physical functions of people recovering from surgeries or dealing with illnesses. Recent studies show that music does have an effectnot only on the body but also on the mind and emotion, and produces synchronization and coordination between people: whether in movement, music, singing or physical measures such as brain activity or heart rate.

A super-analysis (meta-analysis) with grace Results of dozens of studies together On the subject of the relationship between music therapy, in which a therapist plays music that changes according to the patient’s condition, and stress. The findings showed that music therapy does have an effect – both on the stress levels felt by the subjects and on physiological indicators. The subjects reported the stress levels they felt before and after listening to the music, and filled out questionnaires to assess anxiety levels. Self-report questionnaires may be inaccurate due to bias, dishonesty, subjective variability or the subjects’ desire to please the experimenter, so physiological measures were also measured. It was found that the music therapy was effective and resulted in a decrease in the stress levels reported by the subjects, as well as a decrease in indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure and skin conductance, which indicate a state of arousal. The effect was greater in group therapy compared to individual therapy, perhaps because the members of the group synchronize with each other during the therapy, for example like in a group dance where the movement synchronizes to the rhythm even without prior coordination.

But do you need real treatment? Maybe even just listening to music can help lower stress levels? In further analysiswho examined over a hundred studies, found that listening to music affects the heart rate, blood pressure and hormone levels, the subjective feeling of the subjects and also immune system activity. Studies have found that listening to music increases the levels of white blood cells in the various arms of the immune system and affects the levels of cytokines, proteins that regulate inflammation, such as immunoglobulin 6 (IL-6). Listening to music also lowers the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine – neurotransmitters and hormones that are produced mainly in the adrenal gland, and play a central role in the “fight or flight” response.

If music is indeed effective in reducing stress and tension levels, how do we know which music to listen to? Is there a certain type of music that is more relaxing than others?

One of the difficulties in drawing conclusions based on many studies is that the researchers examined the effect of different pieces of music. when tested The influence of rock music versus classical music on skin conductivity, which is a measure to the activity of the vagus nerve (the vagus nerve) related to stress, it was found that a fast rhythm increased arousal and skin conductance. However, the rhythm did not have an effect on its own, but was related to the type of music: when listening to classical music, a high rhythm increased the skin’s conductivity, while when the subjects listened to rock music, the high rhythm actually decreased it, which reflects a decrease in the level of arousal. The difference may be related to additional characteristics of the musical pieces. We note that the study was conducted on a relatively small sample, only 25 students, and additional studies are required to confirm the results.

Listening to classical music has been associated with many positive effects over the years, such as “Mozart effectHowever, it must be remembered that even in this field there is a great difference between composers and between pieces: certain pieces of classical music will actually increase the arousal and not calm down.

The song Weightless by Marconi Union was created by musicians and music therapists in order to calm downbased on scientific knowledge. Its purpose is to activate the parasympathetic system, which relaxes, through a gradual lowering of the rhythm. in research of the company Mindlab International, which deals with consumer behavior, 20 subjects were faced with solving challenging puzzles while listening for musical pieces various. While solving the puzzles, their blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate were measured. available that the creation Weightless did influence them to the greatest extent. why?

the creation Starts at a rate of 60 beats per minute, similar to the heart rate of a person at rest, and gradually decreases to a rate of 45 beats per minute on purpose, in order to try to have a similar effect on the heart rate of the listeners. A guitar, piano and percussion melody alongside sounds related to nature, such as the sounds of water and birds, should stimulate the reward system in the brain. The music was constructed so that there would be no unexpected or surprising elements that would cause arousal, but at the same time it is not too monotonous and uniform, to avoid boredom. Here you can check if the creation does affect you:

in research About 57 students, which did not include people who were involved in the creation The musical partthe researchers compared the effect of four four-minute pieces of music: a piece with a frequency of 6 Hz, which corresponds to slow waves in the brain (theta waves, which are linked to states of relaxation, sleep and meditation); a segment at a higher frequency, 16 Hz, which corresponds to beta waves in the brain; recording of aircraft take-off and landing noises; and an excerpt from the creation Weightless. The heart rate, breathing rate and skin conductance of the participants were measured while they were listening to the clips and while they were sitting in a quiet room. the creation Weightless and the low frequency section led to a decrease in skin conductance compared to rest; the creation caused a 36 percent decrease in skin conductivity, a sharper decrease than that measured in the original study published upon its release. On the other hand, Weightless was not more effective than the other sound segments in lowering the heart rate, and was even less effective in lowering the breathing rate. We note that the subjects were students, young people with similar characteristics, and in order to draw valid conclusions it is useful to examine a cross-section of ages and characteristics more similar to the general population. the researchers concluded of creation has a calming effect and that it can be used as an effective tool for lowering stress levels, although it is possible that the title “the song The most relaxing in the world” deserves further examination.

probable that the creation Weightless doesn’t just relax humans. in research who tested the flu The musical part On chickens in the meat industry, it was found that chickens that listened to create They weighed more, consumed more food and their cortisol levels were lower compared to the control group roosters, who did not hear the the creation. The study indicates that music can have a beneficial effect on the physiology and well-being of captive birds, but since a variety of music types were not tested, it is impossible to learn from it whether to create Weightless has a unique effect compared to other works.

Does relaxing music have to include all the features that are there in the musical section Weightless? not necessarily. It’s possible that the creation It won’t calm you down at all – the reaction to music varies from person to person, and it depends on memories, preferences, culture and other factors. It is also worth considering that most of the studies mentioned in the article were conducted in Western countries and examined Western music, while members of other cultures create and listen to other types of music, with different instruments and characteristics. Music that calms one person will not necessarily calm another person, but you can always try. So if you are stressed, for whatever reason, you are welcome to put on headphones, take a deep breath and let the music calm your body and mind.