When it becomes hard to find your way out of the downward
spiral caused by overwhelming stress and anxiety, try turning to music. Music
has the ability to quickly shift our mood, affecting our subconscious mind
where pesky negative thoughts feed on our fears and fuel the fires of stress.
Listening to music is a relatively inexpensive, quick-acting
solution that’s always available. Here are some ways you can use music to help
manage stress (and create more joy in your life).
1.
Starting Out Right (Rise with Music)
- Try waking to a familiar piece of music that eases you into the day like a
beautiful sunrise, and starts you out in a good mood. This is easy to program
if you have a smart phone (that allows you to assign a song as your alarm).
“Whether a person is
spiritual or not, we all seek to get away from the stress, anger, and anxiety
of everyday life. Some people drink, do drugs, or do worse to escape, and they
hurt themselves in the process. Some people listen to music (mine included) and
feel better.” (Yanni)
Create a playlist of music that relaxes and inspires you. A
positive morning music ritual is a sure way to start your day off in a better
mood and keep you from worrying about yesterday, today, or tomorrow.
2.
Instrumental Moments (Play with Music)
- Playing music is like a mega-vitamin, engaging more areas of the human brain
than any other activity. Music’s ability to help us shift thought patterns and
moods (and even improve our physical well-being, is quite remarkable).
There is a reason they call it “playing” music and not
“working” music. The point is to connect to your instrument in a positive, relaxed
and joyful way.
“Listening to positive and
uplifting music can be great for your overall mood and wellbeing, thus
increasing your confidence levels.” (Ace McCloud)
3.
Emotion in Motion (Move with Music) - A morning walk,
run, yoga, or stretching, can become more enjoyable if you have music as your
personal companion. Use musical selections that help you feel inspired (and
promote a sense of personal well-being).
Music is one of
the best ways to eliminate built-up tension (and lactic acid) that gets trapped
in our bodies and creates disease. For a great daily routine to manage stress,
try what I like to call the three M’s: Music, Movement, and Meditation. A good
blend of ten to twenty minutes of each on a daily basis will transform your
life.
4.
Traffic Jamming (Commute with Music)
- Because a traffic jam is one situation where it is difficult to change the
external circumstances, we must resort to changing our own internal state to
avoid and relieve stress.
“I've grown to love worship
music more than I love fun music because it takes me to the presence of God and
my spirit connects with it on a deeper level than music about temporary
things.”
(Daniel
Colston)
The secluded environment of a car is the ideal place to
practice shifting your mood through music. If you have a regular commute, it
can be a great time to listen to a variety of music to explore what works best
for you and determine what you will want to add to your driving playlist.
5.
On the Job (Work with Music) - Work
environments are often quite stressful when there are several different
personalities in the same space, or when overwhelming work pressures are
compounded by office politics (or an individual’s personal issues).
The right
background music can help everyone work through routine tasks in a better mood.
Listening to inspiring music on breaks can help us recharge our own systems,
and mask potentially annoying distractions in noisier work environments.
“Music can inspire creativity and motivate us, and whether it triggers a
subtle tap of our foot, a clap of our hands or a dance involving our whole
body, music physically moves us. Quite simply, music is transformational.” (Brett Blumenthal)
Discovering common
musical interests within shared environments help build a more connected and
nurturing community at the office.
6.
Happy Hour (Recline with Music) Put
all the connections to and from the outside world on pause, and play a few of
your favorite tunes. Instead of practicing active listening, let the music do
the work. Ease your transition from the challenging world outside, and slip
into the healing world of sound. Music is a great resource to help parents
manage the sometimes-overwhelming energy of their children.
“Music like religion
unconditionally brings in its train all the moral virtues to the heart it
enters, even though that heart is not in the least worthy.” (Jean Baptiste Montegut)
“Music can
inspire creativity and motivate us, and whether it triggers a subtle tap of our
foot, a clap of our hands or a dance involving our whole body, music physically
moves us. Quite simply, music is transformational.” (Brett Blumenthal)
[i] Adapted from “12 Ways to Reduce Stress with Music” by Frank Fitzpatrick
[i] Adapted from “12 Ways to Reduce Stress with Music” by Frank Fitzpatrick
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