7 Songs To Reduce Anxiety According To A Neuroscientist
We all know that music has a strong influence on our mood. Or, at least, we’re guessing it. Several studies have highlighted this close relationship between music and emotions. However, a neuroscientist took it a step further and claimed that you can listen to certain specific songs to reduce anxiety.
Dr Lewis-Hodgson, in association with UK lab MindLab International , released a list of songs to reduce anxiety by 65%. He did this after conducting a study with a group of 40 female volunteers. The brains of each of them were monitored while they listened to music.
He also closely monitored other bodily signals such as heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing rate. All of the volunteers, without exception, showed greater harmony in these indicators after listening to the songs to reduce anxiety.
So what are these songs that do so much good for the mind and the body? Doctor Lewis-Hodgson made a list of seven songs to reduce anxiety. But they are not the only ones who have this power, of course. The scientist simply cited those that are popular in his cultural environment. Here they are, classified according to their degree of influence.
Pure Shores by All Saints
According to Lewis-Hodgson’s ranking, All Saints’ song Pure Shores ranks seventh among songs for reducing anxiety. It belongs to the electronic pop genre and speaks to us precisely about relaxation.
This song has received critical acclaim around the world. There are notes of double bass and sounds of dolphins in the background. Some lists define it as one of the 20 best songs of the whole century.
Mozart’s Canzonetta Sull’aria and Coldplay’s Strawberry Swing
Sull’aria is a short duetto from the third act of the opera Les noces de Figaro. There are oboes, bassoons and strings. It consists of 62 bars and was used as film score in The Shawshank Redemption.
For its part, Coldplay’s Strawberry Swing has a special tribal influence. It was presented to the public in 2009 and has delighted critics. For some connoisseurs, it has a cadence specific to Japanese music.
Watermark of Enya, one of the songs to reduce anxiety
Watermark is part of Enya’s first musical album. Warner Music UK producer Rod Dickins was immediately captivated by this song. Long before science said a single thing, he said this song was helping him sleep better.
The voices used in Watermark have been layered 200 times. Enya’s voice is therefore lost in this set of hypnotic and evocative sounds. The singer was inspired by childhood memories, full of magic and fantasy.
Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix) by DJ Shah and Electra from Airstream
The song Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix) is a creation of Roger Shah, better known as DJ Shah. This German of Pakistani origin is renowned for his electronic compositions. Mellomaniac is one of his greatest hits.
Airstream’s Mellomaniac and Electra are among the songs to reduce anxiety. MindLab experiments report that they lower heartbeat by 27% and may even have analgesic effects in chronic pain.
Weightless by Marconi Union
The song Weightless was listed as “the most relaxing in the world” by the MindLab Institution in 2011. Research has found it to be 11% more tranquilizing than any other. It has been proven to reduce anxiety by up to 65%.
This is not surprising because Marconi Union deliberately used scientific theory to compose a particularly relaxing song. The British Academy of Sound Therapy certified it.
There are surely many other songs to reduce anxiety. These all have in common a complex composition that does not have a repeating pattern. Thanks to this, the brain disconnects: it is impossible for it to “predict” the next measurement. Music is, therefore, an extremely valuable tool that we can turn to in times of exhilaration.
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