Can Music Help You Relax In Times Of Stress?
We are witnessing unprecedented measures to combat a new virus. Many people do their work from home. Some were surrounded by whining children. Others are no longer permitted to work, despite the financial consequences. Then there’s the fear of anyone in poor health.
Who doesn’t like music?
Everyone is familiar with that sensation. You’re driving along, thinking about your day, when you hear that song. That song makes you very happy all of a sudden. You turn up the volume on the music and start singing along. ‘You forget what you were thinking, and your life feels brighter.’ Almost everyone has music that brings back fond memories. Music takes on meaning when you hear it more frequently or when it coincides with a special occasion, such as a car accident, wedding, or funeral. That charge, along with the music, is stored in your memory.
Reduce stress
Listening to music that you enjoy can help you feel less nervous or more relaxed. It takes your mind off your worries and can elicit positive emotions. Making your own music amplifies the effect. This can be accomplished through the use of a musical instrument or by singing along. This application is becoming more common in healthcare, such as in nursing homes where the elderly sing old songs together and a music therapist is used to specifically reduce unrest and feelings of stress. Music can help to relieve stress. People feel it that way, but their bodies also show it by having a lower heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels.’
Group feeling
Do you listen to music together, rather than alone? This allows you to feel more connected to the other person. You can feel that sense of connection even stronger if you move together at the same rhythm. That is why people doing the wave in a stadium feel a strong sense of community. During the Corona crisis, the initiative of clapping for people who work in care may have created a similar feeling among those who clap. And by the way, if you want you can watch drifters season 2 with you’re friends or with you’re a group.
From music to music therapy
Because music can elicit such strong emotional responses, it can be used in therapy. A therapist will use music to help you learn to recognize emotions. People who have difficulty recognizing their emotions in everyday situations are more likely to end up in situations where those emotions win. They gain a better understanding of their emotions and take action as a result of the therapeutic use of music. They can then learn to anticipate situations in everyday life that cause stress and a wide range of emotions in them. There is a distinct difference between music therapy and music performance. It does not, however, take the place of talking or medicines in the latter case.
Reflection
Music can be used in therapy because it has the ability to elicit such strong emotional responses. To help you learn to recognize emotions, a therapist will use music. People who struggle to recognize their emotions in everyday situations are more likely to find themselves in situations where their emotions win. As a result of the therapeutic use of music, they gain a better understanding of their feelings and take action. They can then learn to anticipate stressful and emotional situations in everyday life. Music therapy and music performance are two distinct things. However, it does not replace talking or, in the latter case, medications.
Prevention is better than cure
Music therapy can be used as a preventative measure as well. A study of interventions among students is currently being conducted at a university of applied sciences. Many of them are under a lot of pressure to perform well. 8-10 sessions of music therapy are used to keep them from becoming stuck. Negative feelings are recognized and anticipated by the students. This allows them to intervene before the pressure of studying becomes too much for them.
Stress and corona
For most of us, the coronavirus is a terrifying prospect. The measures taken to prevent further spread are drastic, and they can be stressful at times. There are also those who find that the required rest puts things in perspective: they are no longer rushing from one appointment to the next. Whether you’re dealing with a lot of stress right now or want to make your future less stressful in the future, music can help.
