How Music Can Reduce Stress: an Overview

Albert Einstein once said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music… I get most joy in life out of music”. Indeed, we could not deny that music is an essential part of human life. If mentioning on music, there is a variety of reasons why people listen to music such as to relax, to entertain, to focus, to dance, to fit people’s mood, to be happy or even to communicate. Also, music can reduce stress and my aim for this essay is to prove this statement. When listening to music, people are satisfied with diversity in the kind and style of music; and “music is an art, entertainment, pleasure, meditation, and a medicine for the soul and the body”.

Music can Reduce Stress

Music and playing a musical instrument are the medicines that help me reduce stress. For example, I do not even need to play my ukulele; instead, when I simply touch it and pick it up, I already feel happy. This demonstrates how much I love musical instruments. Moreover, when I play it, there are just fireworks going off all over my brain and my heart beats so fast, which help me forget everything and just enjoy with my happy moment. Therefore, when playing and listening to music, I do not need to worry about work, money and school, which definitely reduce my stress and help me feel better. 

Obviously, the researchers already found that “music improves the body's immune system function and reduces stress”. To wit, they found that when people listen to and play music, “the body’s production of antibody immunoglobulin A and nature killer cells” will increase. Music is also used to help patients calm down and relax before the surgery. For instance, a 2013 study indicated the relationship between music and stress relief, “In the trial with 42 children ages 3 to 11, University of Alberta researchers found that patients who listened to relaxing music while getting an IV inserted reported significantly less pain, and some demonstrated significantly less distress, compared with patients who did not listen to music”. Furthermore, according to the Penn Medicine News, “playing an instrument may be one of the best ways to help keep the brain healthy because it engages every major part of the central nervous system”. Therefore, when I play piano, guitar or ukulele, they help me lower my stress level because the music positively affects my mind and focusing on playing piano, guitar or ukulele helps me stop thinking about other distracting issue.

To continue how to reduce stress essay, one of the primary ways that music can reduce stress is by triggering the release of endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers. Endorphins can help to reduce feelings of pain and stress, creating a sense of relaxation and calmness. Furthermore, music can also lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can contribute to feelings of anxiety and tension. By reducing cortisol levels, music can help to promote feelings of relaxation and reduce the negative impact of stress on the body.

Music can also have a powerful effect on emotions. Listening to music that evokes positive emotions can help to improve mood and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. For example, listening to calming music such as classical or instrumental music can promote relaxation and help to reduce feelings of anxiety. Similarly, listening to uplifting music with a strong beat can promote feelings of happiness and energy, which can help to alleviate stress and improve mood.

In conclusion, I could not explain how good I feel when playing an instrument; however, I can say that music is the medicine to heal my soul and I could not live without music. Music can be a powerful tool for reducing stress and promoting mental health. It can trigger the release of endorphins, lower cortisol levels, improve mood, and provide an outlet for emotions. Whether it's listening to calming music, playing an instrument, or incorporating music into mindfulness practice, there are many ways that music can be used to promote relaxation and reduce stress. We all want to reduce stress in our lives, in this essay I show you one of the best way to deal with it: by incorporating music into daily life, we can create a sense of calmness and improve our mental wellbeing.

Works Cited

• Calaprice, Alice. The Expanded Quotable Einstein. 1st ed., Princeton University Press, 2000, pp. 1-407.
• Collins, Anita. “How Playing an Instrument Benefits your Brain.” TED-Ed, TED, July 2014, www.ted.com/talks/anita_collins_how_playing_an_instrument_benefits_your_brain.
• Novotney, Amy. 'Music as medicine.' vol. 44, no. 10, Nov. 2013, pp. 46+. Accessed April 26, 2019.
• Rampton, John. 'The Benefits of Playing Music Help Your Brain More Than Any Other Activity.' Inc., 21 Aug. 2017, www.inc.com/john-rampton/the-benefits-of-playing- music-help-your-brain-more.html. Accessed April 26, 2019.
• Sapega, Sally. 'Playing an Instrument: Better for Your Brain than Just Listening.' Penn Medicine News, Penn Medicine’s Department of Communications, 30 Jan. 2017, www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2017/january/playing-an-instrument-better-for- your-brain-than-just-listening. Accessed April 26, 2019.
• Sharma, Sanjay. 'The Effect of Music on Human Health and Brain Growth.' Owlcation, 15 Dec. 2017, owlcation.com/social-sciences/The-Effect-of-Music-on-Human-Health-and-Brain- Growth. Accessed April 26, 2019.