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Music And Stress Relief

There are so many reasons why music and stress relief go hand in hand. And, for the most part it is easy to see why we take them for granted.

We use music all the time to either create more energy within us, or to reduce the energy within us. It is when you are coping with stress that you may feel that yearning to hear music:
  • While at work
  • While driving
  • While studying
  • While trying to sleep
  • While trying to relax


Internal rhythms and stress

Just as in nature, each person has their own inner rhythm and balance.

That rhythm gets born in us, literally, while in the womb with the beating of the mother’s heart.

Think about what it must have been like to be so held in that warm and safe life-giving environment where the sound of your mother’s heartbeat was the predominant music you listened to?

There are many pregnant mothers who, for that exact reason, will play a special type of music to their babies. Their intention is often to keep the baby calm, and to create in them a comforting memory for them.

Living for nine months in that special environment may be the primary reason why when you are stressed and needing to relax where the need to listen to a quieter music…one with a slower beat…reminds us of the safety you felt while in the womb.


Music and stress relief

While I worked as the Healing and Wellness Program Coordinator, and stress consultant at a local Trauma hospital, I was able to integrate music therapy for the inpatients. There was a relaxation channel they could turn to on their television that only played relaxing music while it showed a multitude of different environmental scenes.

The outcome data for both patients and the nursing staff was truly amazing. Based on patient survey results, it was found that watching/listening to the relaxation channel helped to reduce their stress, anxiety, and often pain levels by 3-4 points on a 10 point scale.

What I found most interesting about that experience was that so many of the nurses would talk about how when they were stressed how they would put on the relaxation channel while they were working with the patient.

I’m guessing that if you took a minute to reflect on your own life you would be able to share when you, naturally, use music as a stress relaxation technique and didn’t even recognize that was what you were doing.


Ways you can use music and stress relief

Again, recognize that you can use music to give you more energy (like before a big game), or to calm you down.

You can increase its benefits to you by becoming more aware of your stress level , and what your body needs in that moment.

To use music to promote more stress relief, think about these things:
  1. Become aware of your “ahhhhh…” music.
    Let yourself become aware of the music or rhythm of music that you notice yourself taking an automatic deep breath to when you hear it.

    I get that remembered ahhhh moment when I listen to Native American drumming of flutes. Your body carries within you the wisdom and memory to guide you.


  2. Be intentional about why you are listening to music. Are you listening to it for:
    • Play
    • Enjoyment
    • Need more energy
    • Need to relax


  3. Be intentional about what your choices after you have become aware of the “why”.
    If you are feeling that you really need to relax, that would not be the time to listen to hard rock, for instance. Listen to your own “ahhhh” music, and give yourself an opportunity to just settle into it.

    Some of the best music is found while just walking in, or sitting in nature. Listen to the sounds of nature…


  4. Slow deep breathing.
    You will enhance the relaxation benefits of music if you also do some slow healthy deep breathing from your abdomen. This will further facilitate relaxation within you.


  5. Sing.
    Unless you are trying to relax enough to sleep, singing is another wonderful stress relaxation technique to do while listening to music.
Music and stress relief are such a natural combination. Allow yourself to find your own rhythm and restored balance.







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Does music while working cause stress, or make it better?


Linda, it really depends on the type of music that you're listening to. Music like everything ...






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Stress Tip Of The Day!

Throughout each day, the primary cause of stress is because of threats of uncertainty.

It is thoughts of fear and worry that are triggering the stress response.

Staying focused on maintaining a positive attitude is an important stress technique.



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K., age 45, is a long term chronically PTSD disabled patient. She has had daily headaches for 20 years. Two weeks ago she reported that she had had 4 days of pain free time, and was having the exceedingly odd sensation of "smiling all the time". She and Cathi have made extraordinary fast progress together.
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She has lived with daily headaches that have not responded to any of the several drugs which have benefited many such suffering patients. She has needed chronic opiate treatment of her chronic pain syndrome.

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In the few months since M. began to work with Cathi with several modalities: stress management, therapeutic touch, guided imaging, and others, her life has become more livable, as she has become able to bear the pain and the discouragement of unresolved disease.

She has relied on many of the methods for maintaining hope and getting through overwhelming discouragement by using the inner resources she has learned with Cathi.

My hope as her primary physician, is that Cathi and M. will be able to continue to work together to maintain that inner strength and hope as she faces yet more months of pain, and further repeated surgery.

Thank you for the healing guidance you've been able to give her thus far.
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S. has improved! Cathi established a trusting relationship with her, and helped her to effectively break through her wall of silence and grief about her son's mental illness, and taught her how to "change her thinking".

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