Research hypothesis: remedies for stress, finding the most relaxing music in the world.
Client: Radox spa to understand what was the best music for advertising their bubble baths and shower gels.
Research sample: 40 women:
Method: electroencephalic analysis during the execution of a complicated puzzle in limited time.
Songs used and final ranking: 10 *
Result: the best song is “Weightless” by Marconi Union, (trio of Manchester of electronic music) who worked together with music therapists, and which from the test results was more relaxing and effective than a massage, a walk or than a cup of tea to reduce stress and anxiety.
Effects of listening: reduction of heart and respiratory rate, reduction of blood pressure, reduction of cortisol levels (stress hormone) present in the body and reduction of brain activity
Comment: According to Liz Cooper founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy
The song begins with a rhythm of 60 beats per minute and gradually decreases to about 50. While listening, the heart synchronizes with the rhythm. Musical instrument help you efficiently to recover from stress.
The drop in heart rate leads to a reduction in blood pressure. The harmonic intervals – spaces between notes – were chosen to create a feeling of euphoria and comfort.
There are no repeated melodies, which allows the brain to completely shut down because it no longer has to try to predict what will come next. Instead there are random harmonies that help induce a deeper sense of relaxation and lessen stress.
The final element sounds and hums in the background low and sibilant like Buddhist chants. The high tones stimulate, but these low tones put you in a trance-like state. Music has been at the center of healing and worship among indigenous cultures. Weightless is ideal to listen to at the end of a stressful day “
Side effects: it can make you drowsy, so it is not recommended to listen to it if you are doing tasks that require a lot of attention such as driving. “
How Music can help to fight with stress:
If when you are tired and stressed, listening to music you relax, know that it is no coincidence. The notes of a beautiful song, in fact, affect mood and tensions, helping you to find serenity.
We asked Dr. Martina, psychologist, to explain how this is possible.
Why does music help fight stress?
It is now known that listening to music has positive effects on our mood and our body. For decades, numerous scholars have focused their research on the effects of music on our body. Some particular types of sounds or melodies have, in fact, the ability to reduce our stress levels.
These sounds would be directly responsible for the decrease in cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and therefore capable of inducing a state of physiological but also and above all psychological relaxation. Music, in fact, speaks directly to our unconscious, stimulating the regions responsible for sound processing, but also those associated with the emotional response. It acts directly on neuronal activities which, when properly stimulated, produce beta-endorphins, better known as good mood hormones, which also have a proven analgesic capacity.
Study after study has shown that not only music reduces psychological stress, but can improve physiological symptoms, help healing processes and would even be able to increase our immune defenses.
Are there any particular music to promote relaxation?
The answer to this question is: yes! There are different types of music that induce a state of relaxation in the listener, even with a few minutes of listening.
In 2019, some neuroscientists from Mind lab International, a company that deals with neuro marketing research, together with the English trio of Marconi Union produced the song “Weightless”, a song with relaxing properties never found in any other melody. While listening to this song, the heartbeat gradually slows down until it is synchronized with the rhythm of the song, inducing a deep sense of relaxation. According to experts, this piece is able to reduce the level of general anxiety by 65% and the need for usual rest by 35%.
Other music known for their relaxing properties are those deriving from the new age philosophy, which combine natural sounds with digital sounds, in order to create a feeling of relaxation, harmony and well-being. Even classical, Zen or ambient or chill out music can induce a deep state of relaxation that can restore the balance between mind and body.