We could all use a little more self-care these days. Especially when the world is dealing with a pandemic and the lockdown, quarantine, and daily bad news that comes with it. There are a lot of avenues in our lives for stress to come down, and some extra self-care can help to deal with it, reducing stress and helping us to feel in control of the situation to some degree. Music is a powerful tool for caring for our own well-being. And we can use it as a medicine to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, and feelings of unwellness.
An Immediate Impact
Music has been shown to reduce stress levels almost right away. People can actually feel an emotional bump as soon as the first few notes start playing. That’s because music can be soothing to the soul and emotions. With the right kind of song, the effect is immediately triggered by our brain’s response to the audio stimuli.
Careful Selection Is Key
The benefits are much greater for self-care purposes when the listener picks the music for themselves. Or when someone selects music for the listener based on what they believe their needs are. When the music has been carefully curated, it can have a bigger impact on the listener and help them to feel better sooner. Reducing stress, removing anxiety, and inviting an overall sense of well-being are all positive effects that the right kind of music can have on a person. Even heavier music (e.g., metal, punk, techno) can lower stress levels if the listener finds a sense of comfort in a familiar song.
Slow-Paced Music Offers the Best Benefits
If you want to get the most out of your music listening to improve self-care, then slow-paced music is the way to go. Classical music gives the most benefits, especially if it has a slow pace and a steady rhythm to it. This relieves the mind, calms the nerves, and helps to soothe your spirit better than alcohol can. You may want to give yourselves a special set apart time for listening to relaxing music to help calm your soul.
What really helps is to clear your schedule for the day or weekend. This way, you can be more effective in detoxing and de-stressing your mind. Some suggestions from our friends include hiring a cleaning service for your household chores from Annie, who is the boss at Airbnb Cleaning Service Los Angeles. Or asking a professional babysitter to babysit your children. Also, you can take an extra day from work, giving yourself some much-needed time to relax and absolve yourself of a few responsibilities.
Watch the Lyrics
Even when the tune is relaxing, some lyrics can be triggering or upsetting. For instance, breakup songs can have a peaceful, calming melody. But the feelings that the lyrics evoke could be painful. Therefore, you need to select your songs carefully to avoid conflicting with what you are trying to do.
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