Stress can mess up your sleep, your diet, and your ability to relax.
If you’re struggling to switch off and you feel like you’ve tried everything, look no further.
We’ve put together a collection of the best music for stress relief, just for you.
Music is great, widely available, and according to some studies, able to change our brain functions as effectively as medicine, as well as helping us lower our heart rate, manage our cortisol levels, and reduce stress.
You can include music for stress relief in your routine very easily.
You can listen to music first thing in the morning, and set the tone for the rest of the day.
You can listen to music while you commute, cook, clean, and before bed.
The right type of music can boost your mood and help you focus, or lower your stress levels and help you forget about the stress of the day.
As part of a healthy routine, you can also check more tips on how to manage stress or what stress relief meditations you can include in your day-to-day.
As part of a good routine, try to combine music for stress relief with light to moderate exercise, a healthy diet, and a good night’s sleep.
If you struggle to keep up with all the small additions to your healthy routine, we have the tool just for you.
Miboko’s program shows you different techniques to boost your overall health.
You’ll learn how to deal with stress in a sustainable way, how to get the most of your sleep, and how to design a plan that works for you.
How many types of music for stress relief are out there?
Calming music is great to help you destress, but it’s not the only type of music that can help you relax.
A quick Google search shows us hundreds of songs aimed at helping you unwind.
But do any of these songs work better than others?
Research suggests that classical music can have a calming effect on people, but it depends on what you find calming when it comes to music.
As long as the beat is slow and the music helps you feel calm, you can blast Adele’s “Someone Like You” or Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”.
Calming music helps you lower your cortisol levels, feel relaxed, and increase your chances of having a good night’s sleep.
You can listen to calming music while you sit on the sofa or while you do something equally relaxing, such as coloring, embroidery, or gardening.
But classical music is not the only type of music to look at when we want to relax.
There is a bunch of sounds that can make us feel calm and grounded.
Sounds from nature.
Whether it’s the ocean waves, forest sounds, or falling rain, sounds from nature are a great tool in the fight against stress and anxiety.
Research shows that our brains are hardwired to let our guard down in safe environments. A calming stream or the sound of birds tells our brains it’s time to relax and enjoy a safe space.
You can listen to these sounds on their own, or combined with calming music.
A good example of this is Pedar B. Helland’s Dance of Life album, which combines soft, soothing music with sounds from nature.
The calming effect of these melodies makes this album worth a try if you don’t quite know what to listen to just yet.
You can listen to calming music (or nature sounds) while you meditate to enhance your soothing experience, or you can listen to it when you go for a walk, while taking a bath, or before bed.
Music for stress relief is readily available and it’s quick and easy to include in your daily routine.
Pick some calming music, start listening to it every day, and see what happens to your stress levels.
They won’t suddenly go down, but they will gradually lower until you feel less under pressure, and more happy, calm, and relaxed.
Is binaural music effective for stress relief?
Binaural beats have many effects on your overall well-being, and you can use them to increase your focus as well as lower your stress.
Binaural beats are auditory phenomena where you listen to a different frequency in each ear. Your brain then recognizes these different frequencies as a single one.
Binaural beats help induce a very similar state to that of meditation, and some of its benefits are:
- Reduced anxiety.
- Increased focus.
- Lower stress.
Binaural beats between 1 and 30 Hz are thought to create the same wave pattern that our brain creates during a meditation session.
There are tons of binaural beats online to try for free, all you need is a pair of earphones or headphones to make sure you’re getting a different frequency through each ear.
You can also choose what beats you want to listen to depending on how you’re feeling:
- If you want to feel less stressed and more positive and relaxed, then alpha frequencies (8-13 Hz) are thought to be the best for this.
- If you want to achieve deep sleep, try delta frequencies (1-4 Hz).
- If you want to feel more focused and alert, then beta frequencies (14-30 Hz) are your best bet.
- If you want to boost your learning process, binaural beats of 40 Hz are the best choice.
Binaural beats work for people wanting to achieve different results.
You can use different frequencies for different results, so you can enhance your concentration or you can get ready for a good night’s sleep by changing the frequency of the beats you listen to.
Binaural beats can be easily included in your everyday routine, whether you listen to them for 5 or 20 minutes, the important thing is to set some time aside, identify what mood you’re in, and blast some beats to help you deal with stress, or to focus better, or to have a deep sleep.
Why Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR for its friends) is such a popular stress relief tool.
Scientists are starting in-depth research about this rather recent tool that helps you lower your stress and feel better.
ASMR has become quite popular lately, with a great number of ASMR Youtube videos that are being watched by hundreds of thousands.
ASMR involves trigger sounds (whispering, tapping) or visuals (slow-motion videos, moving patterns) that make you feel a tingling sensation either throughout your whole body or in the back of the neck, slowing your heart rate and helping you relax.
Studies have shown that ASMR helps you sleep better, relax, and lower your anxiety and stress levels.
Research is catching up to the effects of ASMR on people, and whereas there aren’t hundreds of studies on this topic yet, the ones that are available are crystal clear in two areas:
- Not everyone can experience ASMR – some people simply don’t seem to have the ability. However, with the vast amount of different triggers available, you can try as many as you want before deciding whether ASMR is for you or not.
- It doesn’t harm you. Even if you don’t experience the full ASMR effects, this practice doesn’t come with nasty secondary effects. It either works or it doesn’t, but if it does, you will have found a very powerful stress-relief tool readily available for you.
Trying ASMR is easy, having a good number of videos on YouTube and similar platforms.
However, it’s important to note that not all triggers work for everyone in the same way.
Some people feel more drawn to audio triggers (crisp sounds, whispering, tapping…) while others prefer visual ones (petting a pet, mixing paint…)
You need to find the trigger that works for you.
And combine this technique with other stress-relieving techniques for enhanced effects.
Try to watch some ASMR videos after meditating, or going for a walk.
Build your routine in a way that allows you to unwind and relax every single day.
Even if it’s just for 10 minutes.
Make them count.
Can calming music really help you destress?
Definitely.
Research shows that music helps boost your mood as well as help you de-stress.
Different types of music can bring out different feelings.
Music is incredibly easy to include in your daily routine, you can listen to it while you’re on your way to work, while you meditate, or before bed.
There are also other types of sounds that help you relax, even if they’re not considered music per se.
Sounds from nature – sometimes combined with slow music – are fantastic to lower your stress levels and feel calm and grounded.
Binaural beats can help in a variety of ways too. Depending on the frequency of the beat, they can help you sleep better, increase your concentration, or improve your relaxation.
ASMR also contributes to lower stress levels and feelings of well-being. Because there are so many ASMR videos out there, you have plenty to choose from and see what works for you.
Finding a moment a day to relax and unwind is fundamental to your overall health.
Lowering cortisol levels produced by stress helps you feel better, build resilience in a sustainable way, and manage your weight healthily.
If you struggle to find the time or the motivation to follow a healthy routine, don’t worry.
It can be too much at once.
It’s your journey, so take it at your own pace.
If you need extra support or want to track your progress, Miboko is the next stop for you.
Miboko’s program shows you how to build a healthy routine and stick to it.
It gives you access to our online community and our experts, encouraging you to share your journey and ask any questions you may have along the way.
It also offers personalized suggestions based on your metabolism, so you can build a plan that works for you.
Miboko helps you become the healthiest version of yourself without any crazy sacrifices.
And the best part?
We go at your own pace.
No rushing.
No crash dieting.
Just a sustainable habit-changing app developed by experts to help you hit your goals.
