Research shows that playing and composing music can reduce stress by reducing cortisol levels. Music can be used as a therapeutic tool not only to reduce stress, but also to promote healing and improve overall emotional well-being. Different uses may include listening to music, reading a musical instrument, singing music and using guided images with music.
It is true, there is a lot of evidence that learning to play an instrument can significantly relieve stress. Scientific studies have shown that people who play an instrument have lower stress levels, lower blood pressure, reduced heart rate, and decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression. One of these studies found that playing the piano reduces cortisol relaxing harp music levels, which is known as the “stress hormone” because it can cause physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. Researchers have even found that playing the piano reduces cortisol levels more than other relaxing activities such as reading, writing and art! Another study found that taking guitar lessons can help reduce the symptoms of PTSD and depression.
A study has indicated that the body releases less cortisol, a stress hormone, when people listen to music. The same study referred to previous research that indicated that music had little measurable effect on cortisol levels. It can also lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, lower cortisol levels, and increase blood levels of serotonin and endorphine. Playing a musical instrument offers health benefits without the side effects that accompany pharmacotherapy. It can also help improve social skills and give people a sense of accomplishment. Group music lessons offer people the opportunity to bond and positively affect life choices.
The alpha-amylase levels of people who listened to classical music returned to normal faster than people who heard sounds of nature. This suggests that relaxing music helps the body find an unstressed state faster. If the Mozart effect does not permanently make it smarter, it makes it more relaxed and therefore able to tackle a task with confidence. The calming effect of classical music eliminates all nervousness or nervousness and can help decrease your heart rate and anxiety.
The University of Maryland Medical Center reveals that students must “listen to music”. Music is an effective stress reducer for healthy people and people with health problems. Research reveals that listening to relaxing music can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels in heart patients.
This means listening to relaxing music could help improve stress and health response. Contemporary research suggests that music has significant power to help reduce stress and anxiety, relieve pain and improve concentration among many other benefits.
In addition to helping human beings to feel positive emotions, listening to music has also been associated with improving our physical health and well-being. There are good reasons to believe that more benefits arise from music therapy when used not as a random activity, but as an intentional strategy to improve health and well-being. A study has shown that listening to music during a break reduces the prevalence of stress among front-line nurses, a profession that has long been marked by high rates of stress and professional exhaustion. One group listened to the relaxing music of their choice for 30 minutes while the other group sat in silence on a chair during the same period. When the results were compared for the two groups, nurses who listened to music had lower perceived stress levels, lower levels of cortisol in the bloodstream and lower heart levels than the chair group. This is the perfect reason to review your class notes with music, they have been shown to help reduce stress!