3 Ways to Use Music to Reduce Stress and Promote Well-Being

Music is a terrific stress reliever because it provides cerebral distraction, as well as reduces stress hormones and muscle tension. In San Diego, California, residents are welcomed to join The Music Therapy Center of California. The center shows how effective stress management can begin and end with your favorite song. Simply hearing a song can cause your mind to become distracted from your problems and absorbed in something unrelated to your stress. If you’re feeling down, it’s time to turn up the radio.

 

Sad Songs Say So Much

Japanese scientists have discovered that sad music actually results in positive emotions. You may think putting on a Hank Williams record would cause your stress levels to rise, but that’s simply not the case.

 

In a study published in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, sad songs were proven to elicit positive emotions. Researchers discovered sad songs elicit differing emotions, such as feelings of romance. They also discovered that the sadness one feels when listening to sad music isn’t comparable to general sadness.

 

“Sadness through art actually feels pleasant.”

Sad songs can pull at the heart strings causing the listener to feel emotion. Researchers believe these discoveries can help people who are dealing with daily negative emotions.

 

“Emotion experienced by music has no direct danger or harm, unlike the emotion experienced in everyday life. Therefore, we can even enjoy unpleasant emotion such as sadness. If we suffer from unpleasant emotion evoked through daily life, sad music might be helpful to alleviate negative emotion,” the researchers concluded.

 

Groove is in the Heart

If you’re feeling down, it may help to listen to your favorite dance music. Dance therapy is the use of movement to improve mental and physical well-being. There is a connection between your mind and body that promotes expression, health and healing. Although there are few studies on dance therapy, the American Cancer Society suggests that it may be effective in improving self-esteem and reducing stress.

 

Not only will the music you’re hearing lift your spirits, you’ll also be moving. In dance classes, you’re getting the benefit of what you’re hearing, as well as the benefit of exercise. Physical activities encourage the body to produce endorphins, which causes feelings of well-being. Dancing to music is a quick way to combat stress, so don’t be afraid to plug in your iPod when you need a midday pick-me-up.

 

Play That Funky Music

In 2005, a revolutionary study proved that playing music can reverse multiple components of the human stress response on the genomic level. Learning to play an instrument, or sing, is an easy way to reduce stress levels and keep them low. More than reading or relaxing, playing music reduces stress. It may require lessons to learn to play an instrument or sing. The human interaction, brought on by taking these lessons, is another proven stress reliever. The Music Therapy Center in San Diego, mentioned at the beginning of this article, promotes working together, with others, to learn and create – all great methods for reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

 

If the thought of picking up an instrument isn’t appealing to you, consider the benefits of learning to sing. Everyone sings at the center, so there’s no reason to be nervous. Haven’t you always wanted to learn to sing? If you’d prefer some privacy before going public with your voice, you can take advantage of private music lessons from an accredited instructor in your town. They’ll help you build your confidence and vocal range, while the exercise works to reduce your stress.

 

Music can play a large role in reducing your stress. Don’t be afraid to crank up the volume and sing along because these activities are scientifically proven to be good for you. The recipe for reducing stress is: listen, dance, play and repeat!

Categories: music, playing music, positive emotions, reducing stress, sad music, sad songs, Stress, Stress Levels, stress reliever, therapy center, unpleasant emotion, well being

3 Ways to Use Music to Reduce Stress and Promote Well-Being

Music is a terrific stress reliever because it provides cerebral distraction, as well as reduces stress hormones and muscle tension. In San Diego, California, residents are welcomed to join The Music Therapy Center of California. The center shows how effective stress management can begin and end with your favorite song. Simply hearing a song can cause your mind to become distracted from your problems and absorbed in something unrelated to your stress. If you’re feeling down, it’s time to turn up the radio.

 

Sad Songs Say So Much

Japanese scientists have discovered that sad music actually results in positive emotions. You may think putting on a Hank Williams record would cause your stress levels to rise, but that’s simply not the case.

 

In a study published in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, sad songs were proven to elicit positive emotions. Researchers discovered sad songs elicit differing emotions, such as feelings of romance. They also discovered that the sadness one feels when listening to sad music isn’t comparable to general sadness.

 

“Sadness through art actually feels pleasant.”

Sad songs can pull at the heart strings causing the listener to feel emotion. Researchers believe these discoveries can help people who are dealing with daily negative emotions.

 

“Emotion experienced by music has no direct danger or harm, unlike the emotion experienced in everyday life. Therefore, we can even enjoy unpleasant emotion such as sadness. If we suffer from unpleasant emotion evoked through daily life, sad music might be helpful to alleviate negative emotion,” the researchers concluded.

 

Groove is in the Heart

If you’re feeling down, it may help to listen to your favorite dance music. Dance therapy is the use of movement to improve mental and physical well-being. There is a connection between your mind and body that promotes expression, health and healing. Although there are few studies on dance therapy, the American Cancer Society suggests that it may be effective in improving self-esteem and reducing stress.

 

Not only will the music you’re hearing lift your spirits, you’ll also be moving. In dance classes, you’re getting the benefit of what you’re hearing, as well as the benefit of exercise. Physical activities encourage the body to produce endorphins, which causes feelings of well-being. Dancing to music is a quick way to combat stress, so don’t be afraid to plug in your iPod when you need a midday pick-me-up.

 

Play That Funky Music

In 2005, a revolutionary study proved that playing music can reverse multiple components of the human stress response on the genomic level. Learning to play an instrument, or sing, is an easy way to reduce stress levels and keep them low. More than reading or relaxing, playing music reduces stress. It may require lessons to learn to play an instrument or sing. The human interaction, brought on by taking these lessons, is another proven stress reliever. The Music Therapy Center in San Diego, mentioned at the beginning of this article, promotes working together, with others, to learn and create – all great methods for reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

 

If the thought of picking up an instrument isn’t appealing to you, consider the benefits of learning to sing. Everyone sings at the center, so there’s no reason to be nervous. Haven’t you always wanted to learn to sing? If you’d prefer some privacy before going public with your voice, you can take advantage of private music lessons from an accredited instructor in your town. They’ll help you build your confidence and vocal range, while the exercise works to reduce your stress.

 

Music can play a large role in reducing your stress. Don’t be afraid to crank up the volume and sing along because these activities are scientifically proven to be good for you. The recipe for reducing stress is: listen, dance, play and repeat!

Categories: music, playing music, positive emotions, reducing stress, sad music, sad songs, Stress, Stress Levels, stress reliever, therapy center, unpleasant emotion, well being

3 Ways to Use Music to Reduce Stress and Promote Well-Being

Music is a terrific stress reliever because it provides cerebral distraction, as well as reduces stress hormones and muscle tension. In San Diego, California, residents are welcomed to join The Music Therapy Center of California. The center shows how effective stress management can begin and end with your favorite song. Simply hearing a song can cause your mind to become distracted from your problems and absorbed in something unrelated to your stress. If you’re feeling down, it’s time to turn up the radio.

 

Sad Songs Say So Much

Japanese scientists have discovered that sad music actually results in positive emotions. You may think putting on a Hank Williams record would cause your stress levels to rise, but that’s simply not the case.

 

In a study published in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, sad songs were proven to elicit positive emotions. Researchers discovered sad songs elicit differing emotions, such as feelings of romance. They also discovered that the sadness one feels when listening to sad music isn’t comparable to general sadness.

 

“Sadness through art actually feels pleasant.”

Sad songs can pull at the heart strings causing the listener to feel emotion. Researchers believe these discoveries can help people who are dealing with daily negative emotions.

 

“Emotion experienced by music has no direct danger or harm, unlike the emotion experienced in everyday life. Therefore, we can even enjoy unpleasant emotion such as sadness. If we suffer from unpleasant emotion evoked through daily life, sad music might be helpful to alleviate negative emotion,” the researchers concluded.

 

Groove is in the Heart

If you’re feeling down, it may help to listen to your favorite dance music. Dance therapy is the use of movement to improve mental and physical well-being. There is a connection between your mind and body that promotes expression, health and healing. Although there are few studies on dance therapy, the American Cancer Society suggests that it may be effective in improving self-esteem and reducing stress.

 

Not only will the music you’re hearing lift your spirits, you’ll also be moving. In dance classes, you’re getting the benefit of what you’re hearing, as well as the benefit of exercise. Physical activities encourage the body to produce endorphins, which causes feelings of well-being. Dancing to music is a quick way to combat stress, so don’t be afraid to plug in your iPod when you need a midday pick-me-up.

 

Play That Funky Music

In 2005, a revolutionary study proved that playing music can reverse multiple components of the human stress response on the genomic level. Learning to play an instrument, or sing, is an easy way to reduce stress levels and keep them low. More than reading or relaxing, playing music reduces stress. It may require lessons to learn to play an instrument or sing. The human interaction, brought on by taking these lessons, is another proven stress reliever. The Music Therapy Center in San Diego, mentioned at the beginning of this article, promotes working together, with others, to learn and create – all great methods for reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

 

If the thought of picking up an instrument isn’t appealing to you, consider the benefits of learning to sing. Everyone sings at the center, so there’s no reason to be nervous. Haven’t you always wanted to learn to sing? If you’d prefer some privacy before going public with your voice, you can take advantage of private music lessons from an accredited instructor in your town. They’ll help you build your confidence and vocal range, while the exercise works to reduce your stress.

 

Music can play a large role in reducing your stress. Don’t be afraid to crank up the volume and sing along because these activities are scientifically proven to be good for you. The recipe for reducing stress is: listen, dance, play and repeat!

Categories: music, playing music, positive emotions, reducing stress, sad music, sad songs, Stress, Stress Levels, stress reliever, therapy center, unpleasant emotion, well being

The Upward Spiral: How Positive Emotions Improve Your Health

It’s easy to see that your emotional wellness has an impact on your behaviour; depression and anger can lead to a downward spiral of destructive behaviour, and this, in turn, further affects your wellbeing. This chain of events can damage your health, put strain on your relationships, and leave you feeling even worse than when you started – but does that spiral go both ways?

According to new research, published in the journal Psychological Science, there is an uplifting equivalent to that destructive sequence. According to the research team, ‘Positive emotion, positive social connections, and physical health influence one another in a self-sustaining, upward-spiral dynamic.’ The researchers discovered that upbeat emotions, which have been inspired by a meditative practice, helped participants to experience greater feelings of connectedness with others. This, turn, had a positive impact on ‘a biological resource that has been linked to numerous health benefits.’

This delightful dynamic helps explain the well-documented link between joy, appreciation, and good health. We humans are truly social creatures, as you can measure the effect that easy interactions have on your body. Led by psychologist Bethany Kok of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, the researchers wanted to understand why this occurs, and so undertook a nine-week experiment featuring 65 participants, who were all faculty or staff members at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Each participant’s heartbeat data was analysed in order to obtain a baseline measurement of vagal tone. This helped the researchers to discern levels of activity in the part of the nervous system that regulates your internal organs and reacts to emotional stress. For the next two months, the volunteers reported on how strongly they had been feeling 20 different emotions on a daily basis. They also rated ‘the three social interactions in which they had spent the most time that day,’ and assessed the degree to which they felt ‘in tune with’ the people they were dealing with.

Half of the participants attended six weekly sessions on loving-kindness meditation, which focuses on developing ‘feelings of love, compassion, and goodwill toward oneself and others.’ The researchers concluded, ‘Participants who reported greater increases in positive emotions over the course of the study, who were mostly the ones assigned to the loving-kindness meditation group, also exhibited greater increases in social connections, which were in turn associated with larger increases in vagal tone.’ This means that a positive emotional state led to the perception of stronger bonds with the people, which positively impacted bodily function, as measured by vagal tone.

The Upward Spiral: How Positive Emotions Improve Your Health

Categories: greater increases, health, kindness meditation, loving kindness, physical health, positive, Positive emotion, positive emotions, positive social connections, social connections