HERE IS A PLAYLIST OF THE 10 SONGS FOUND TO BE THE MOST RELAXING ON EARTH, INCLUDING ONE WHERE SCIENTISTS WITNESSED A 65% REDUCTION IN PARTICIPANTS’ OVERALL ANXIETY, AND STRESS.
Each and every one of us have tried at last a few different techniques to combat stress or anxiety in our lives. It’s not only helpful with making you feel better overall, but finding ways to manage stress levels is important for your health too.
Thanks to modern research, we now know the harmful effects of stress on the body. Stress causes chemicals like cortisol to be released, and increases serious health risks like heart disease, obesity, depression, digestive problems, asthma, and many others. Additionally, there was a recent paper published out of Harvard and Stanford that discovered something rather troubling- “health issues from job stress alone cause more deaths than diabetes, Alzheimer’s, or influenza.”
So what’s the best way to take some of the pressure off? Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson of Mindlab International says we should listen to music- more specifically, one special song.
A team of neuroscientists, which Dr. Lewis-Hodgson lead, conducted a study on sound therapy. Participants had to attempt to solve puzzles, which induced stress, with sensors attached to their bodies. They then had to listen to different songs while researchers measured and recorded their heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.
ONE SONG STOOD OUT AMONG THE REST.
Weightless by Marconi Union was found to reduce levels of stress and anxiety by a whopping 65 percent, and produced a greater state of relaxation than any other music tested to date.
“‘Weightless’ was so effective, many women became drowsy and I would advise against driving while listening to the song because it could be dangerous,” said Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson.
What’s truly incredible is that Weightless was designed to do exactly that- reduce stress. Marconi Union, the group behind the song, worked together with sound therapists to create carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines, all for one purpose- to slow the listener’s “heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”
THE COMPLETE LIST OF THE TOP TEN SONGS TO LISTEN TO WHEN YOU WANT TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY CAN BE FOUND BELOW, AND WE’VE EVEN INCLUDED A PLAYLIST WITH ALL OF THEM TOGETHER.
10. “We Can Fly,” by Rue du Soleil (Café Del Mar)
9. “Canzonetta Sull’aria,” by Mozart
8. “Someone Like You,” by Adele
7. “Pure Shores,” by All Saints
6. “Please Don’t Go,” by Barcelona
5. “Strawberry Swing,” by Coldplay
4. “Watermark,” by Enya
3. “Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix),” by DJ Shah
2. “Electra,” by Airstream
1. “Weightless,” by Marconi Union
REMEMBER NOT TO LISTEN TO THIS WHILE DRIVING, OR DOING ANYTHING THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURY WITHOUT COMPLETE FOCUS.
Keep in mind, in order for stress to go away, you have to stop giving it so much attention. If you listen to these songs and are constantly thinking “This isn’t working,” or “I still feel stressed,” then they probably aren’t going to work as well for you. Take a breath, and just enjoy the music.
