How Music reduces anxiety in quarantine?
Music saves lives, changes stories and unites what many things in this world insist on separating. Since “it has existed since the world was the world”, this marvel of art is an intangible heritage of humanity. How Music reduces anxiety in quarantine?
In this post, the subject revolves around some situations in which musical works exert intense influences on the listener’s mind and body. With a quick account, you discover that music is a strong ally in dealing with the days of social isolation.
How about finding out a little bit about how magic happens? Just stay with me… and experience the power that only music has.
Listen to music to fight anxiety during Quarantine:
Over the centuries, the therapeutic use of music has been used to relax and restore health. For many people, staying at home can be an arduous task – especially when going out into the street is synonymous with risk – and can cause anxiety and nervous tension. For these and others, musical activities in general (playing an instrument or listening to songs) are a “holy medicine”. You can Try a piano to get better results
Recently, researchers and curators from Lab, a British consultancy specializing in neuroscience solutions for companies, scientifically proved the therapeutic capacity of music.
To do this, they conducted a study in which participants had to solve a complex puzzle as quickly as possible while listening to different types of music. The volunteers were hooked up to sensors capable of measuring brain activity, blood pressure and breathing. The intention was to find out which sounds caused a feeling of relaxation, even in the face of a technically stressful task.
The song that produced the best result was Weightless, by the British trio Marconi Union. When exposed to this soundtrack, the participants had an anxiety level 65% lower than that previously recorded. If quarantine is stressing you out, play the video below.
Weightless was done in collaboration with therapists. According to researchers, the slow beat and low tones decrease heart rate and levels of cortisol – the stress and anxiety hormone – in the bloodstream.
The influence of music on Mood:
When we listen to music that we like, our brain releases a substance called dopamine, which acts as a neurotransmitter and causes a feeling of well-being. Basically, this hormone reduces stress and anxiety.
In a recent scientific study, researchers looked at the effects music has on patients recovering from surgery. Half of them underwent treatment with medication for anxiety, while another portion of them only listened to per-selected songs.
At the end of the study, the conclusion was that patients who were subjected to music were less anxious than those who had taken medication. Cortisol levels – the hormone responsible for stress – were also lower. If days at home are killing your good mood, listen to lots of music!
Music improves productivity in the home Office:
A healthy mind inevitably produces much more. And in this regard, music has an unusual power! In addition to reducing anxiety, songs stimulate memory and increase brain performance.
If social isolation has led you to work or study at a distance, there’s nothing better than having a musical score to boost productivity there in your home office.
That said, it’s time to talk about the points where musical works make a difference.
For those who are not used to it, working from home can be more of a distraction than a production. In this scenario, you run the risk of one particular task or another becoming tedious. Consequently, you will lose focus.
According to a scientific study published in 2011, the regions of the brain that are responsible for strong emotions and the power of concentration are more active when we listen to a familiar soundtrack. Unknown songs don’t cause the same impact and can even cause distraction, as everything that is new arouses curiosity. So when you need to stay focused, listen to playlists full of songs you know well!
Songs that Increase Productivity:
To give a boost in maintaining focus, enjoying a sound between a task can be ideal. According to a study carried out with students, if they were listened to during brief moments of rest, exposure to music significantly increased the youth’s ability to concentrate. In this way, they found it easier to stay focused on long, dense texts.
The type of music you listen to is 100% critical in helping to improve productivity levels. Therefore, before selecting the trail of a particular activity, always consider the factors below:
- Number of verses the song has;
- Music familiarization index;
- How repetitive is the task you will be doing while listening;
- If the activity performed requires physical or mental effort.
For intellectual activities, such as reading a book, it is ideal to listen to ambient, new age – or even classical music. If it’s to work, the ideal playlist must have instrumental songs, as research indicates that songs that have lyrics can reduce mental performance. On the other hand, instrumental tracks can boost intense doses of productivity. Other studies have shown that the more voices we hear on the trail, the less productive we will be.
Music to lighten the quarantine:
Since the world was closed in a regime of social isolation, the main way to contain the advances of the Covid-19 pandemic, music has provided unforgettable moments.
Due to the countless canceled/postponed concerts and events, the artistic class continues to promote lives on its own platforms and those of other services and companies. With this gesture, in addition to increasing the consumption of their music in digital media, artists and bands encourage fans spread across the four corners of the planet.