Most people today run to music when they feel stressed or tired. And whether it may be listening to it or creating it, music, in general, is a helpful element that can help people relieve stress. Let’s dive into how and when music can help (you) reduce stress!

Music Therapy

Let’s start our journey by looking at music therapy. Have you ever taken music therapy? If not, then you must keep in mind that this is far different from music lessons. As it happens, music is almost always used, well, in therapy. Many therapists utilize the practice for various purposes. And it’s all because music is found to have beneficial claims that are therapeutic for individuals.

Whether it may be a physical concern or a mental one, music therapies can largely help individuals improve in these aspects. So, it is not surprising why music can easily resolve and relieve stress.

Releasing Stress Through the Power of Music

It has been already established that music can relieve stress. But how does it work? And how efficient or effective can it be?

It is worth noting that understanding how it works can help you learn its efficiency and effectiveness. So, here are the top three points on how music works when you are stressed out or tired:

1. Making music can reduce feeling burnout and improve mood

Creating or making music is one of the most effective ways to utilize music when you are stressed or down. It helps you calm your nerves and improve your mood. This is because when you create music through musical instruments, it will help your brain reorganize its thoughts. Not to mention, it allows your cognitive functions to practice and work that helps them improve their overall functioning.

This is also the reason why many people would enroll in guitar lessons or piano lessons and schedule it on the weekends. So, not only that they can learn and improve their playing skills, but to also ease and relieve stresses that are obtained from the whole week.

2. Listening to soothing music reduces levels of stress hormones

Listening to music can naturally relieve and eradicate your stress. And so much more when you listen to soothing music of your preference. This is because music naturally reduces your stress hormones. In addition, it also increases the production of your endorphins or also known as the happy hormones.

Hence, if you are super stressed right now or you are feeling down and you need a “lift” up, then music is the answer.

3. Playing musical instruments decreases anxiety levels dramatically

In relation to making music, which is somewhat similar to playing musical instruments, it has also been found to decrease anxiety levels. As per studies and research, music has a great way of improving mood and channeling focus and concentration. And as any expert would say, anxiety is a series of event that makes you feel detached from reality.

With these notions at hand, playing musical instruments can naturally help you fight anxiety since it will allow your brain to be “in touch” with your reality. It makes you much keener to the activity that makes you much more focus to the present period.

Best music types and genres for relieving stress

Soothing music is mentioned to reduce levels of stress. But it is also worth noting that it should be the music of your preference as well. So, whatever music you choose to listen to, as long as you feel great with that music, it will help you with your stress management.

Even so, studies and research found out the six best music types or genres that you may want to focus on when you are stressed. And these are:

1. Celtic

2. Ambient

3. Classical Music

4. American

5. Electronic

6. Rock

While these types may be the best of today, you and you alone can only be the one to know the answer. So, try to mix a little music and know which one would be perfect for you, especially when relieving stress and improving mood.

Go music against stress!

All in all, music is very therapeutic. And for whatever purpose that you may need to utilize music on a daily basis, it has been already established that it can help you relieve and eliminate stress. So instead of looking for some stress relievers that may involve shelling out hundreds of dollars, why not try it with music first – and see for yourself.

Written by Curtin Dean from Sage Music Lessons NYC