Music, particularly rhythm, engages the brain. It stimulates the basal ganglia, the part of our brain that keeps time with a beat. This is the same region that integrates emotion and movement. It creates a holistic, mind-body experience. This experience can lift mood and lower stress. Music with a slow tempo or a consistent, rhythmic pattern can induce a meditative state. It can slow breathing and heart rate. It also reduces anxiety.
Studies have found that music-based interventions could relieve cancer patients’ cancer-associated pain, fatigue, and distress (Trigueros-Murillo et al., 2023). Additionally, music intervention may help reduce morning cortisol levels in the saliva of stressed family caregivers (Emami et al., 2023).
Music’s power to ease anxiety extends beyond personal listening experiences. Clinical music therapy is where trained therapists use music interventions to promote wellness. These interventions soothe stress and relieve pain. This therapy is an increasingly recognized method for treating various mental health issues, including anxiety.
Harnessing the healing power of music is as easy as pressing “play.” You can create a playlist of your favorite relaxing tunes. Learn to play a musical instrument. Participate in a drum circle. There are endless ways to weave the benefits of music into your daily life.
Take a moment if you are feeling the tension rise. Immerse yourself in a melody. Let the rhythm guide your mind towards tranquility. Allow music to perform its therapeutic magic. Dive into the rhythm of relief and let the harmonious healing begin.
Get more information from: Pathways to Peace: A Journey Through Aromatherapy, Music, Meditation, and Exercise for Anxiety Relief.
References:
Emami, A., Theorell, T., Kim, H., Berglund, L., Hallinder, H., & Engström, G. (2023). Assessing stress using repeated saliva concentration of steroid hormones in dementia care dyads: results from a controlled pilot care music intervention. Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, 128.
Trigueros-Murillo, A., Martinez-Calderon, J., Casuso-Holgado, M. J., González-García, P., & Heredia-Rizo, A. M. (2023). Effects of music-based interventions on cancer-related pain, fatigue, and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. Support Care Cancer, 31(8), 488.
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