Using Music to Relieve Stress and Anxiety
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a feeling of unease such as worry, fear, stress, restlessness, tension or overthinking. These are all healthy responses to stressful situations where your body releases cortisol (a stress hormone) to respond to them. When we feel threatened, cortisol is valuable in protecting us, creating a fight-flight-freeze reaction. Fight or flight prepare our bodies to fight against the threat or to escape the situation. Your breathing gets quicker; your heartbeat fastens; muscles tense — your body is ready to react quickly. In freeze response, we feel like there is no opportunity for us to escape, which numbs our feelings physically, emotionally and mentally.
Common types of anxiety disorders
People with anxiety disorders experience repeated episodes of these sudden feelings, which may lead to anxiety, disrupting daily tasks. There are many anxiety disorders, the most common ones being generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety. Let's look at these below.
Generalised anxiety disorder
In generalised anxiety disorder, there is constant worry or fear that the person cannot control. You could have sleep difficulties, the tension in your muscles, restlessness, problems focusing, fatigue, or irritability.
Social anxiety
In social anxiety, you may feel anxious when having to be at the centre of attention, perform or socialise with others. Because of the intense feelings you feel around people, you may start to isolate yourself from these stressful situations to relieve your triggers. However, some performance and social anxiety are standard, which doesn't necessarily mean you have social anxiety.
Common symptoms of anxiety
Anxiety symptoms can range from:
having restless thoughts
difficulties falling asleep
thoughts of worry
overthinking
tension in muscles
shallow breathing
sweating
sense of unease
How can music help to relieve stress and anxiety?
Studies have shown that music can lower our cortisol levels, reducing stress and anxiety. Music connects us to ourselves, being aware of our emotions, and processing our feelings. When we start accepting our anxiety, leaning into it and letting go of control, we may begin to notice how the feeling is something to be curious about. Music addresses our cognitive, emotional and social needs. Below, I have listed some musical techniques to use when feeling overwhelmed and stressed. These can be used in your own time and adjusted to your needs.
Active music-making
In active music-making, we use instruments or our voices to create sounds and music in real-time. This involves active participation from your side and may be more exposing. Below, I have listed three active music-making techniques to relieve stress and anxiety.
Vocal breathing
We breathe at all times, but it is the quality of the breath that counts. Notice your breathing pattern – is it slow or fast? Is it surface level, or do you breathe deeply from your diaphragm? Once you are aware of your breath, begin to take deeper breaths, closing your eyes if this feels comfortable, placing one hand on your belly and one on your heart. Inhale from the nose, exhale through your mouth, relax your shoulders, placing both feet on the ground. As you exhale, let a sound out with your voice. It might feel uncomfortable initially but trust the process and be open to whatever happens. You are safe.
Songwriting
Think about something that you are struggling with at the moment. Is it a question that you are curious about? Are you delaying a task that you'd rather not complete? Maybe you're feeling confused and need some clarity. Write down anything that comes to mind. You then have a topic that you can use for your songwriting. Start picking out some words that capture your attention, creating a map of these and grouping lyrics together. You may add music to these. Writing down words that reflect your current state can help to create awareness of your emotions and process your feelings.
Playing an instrument
If you have an instrument at hand or anything else that makes a sound, you can start experimenting with them. These can be quiet on a guitar, or maybe you want to express your anger on the drums. Get familiar with what comes out. There is no need to think about it, but just leaning into the task and letting go of your thoughts can be a great way to release any stale emotions. Voice can be another one to experiment with and is accessible to most of us.
Music listening
Music listening is a passive form of using music to relieve stress and anxiety. This can be either listening to your favourite song or putting on a relaxing playlist that helps you ground yourself. Let's look at some of these techniques.
Putting on a song that reflects your current mood
How do you feel right now? Is there a song that you associate with your current mood? Does it have any lyrics? If so, what is the message of the song? This may be your favourite song you are listening to on repeat, or you might shuffle your playlist and see what comes up. Whatever it is, trust the process and notice the lyrics or the melody. Do they reflect your current state of mind? Is it the complete opposite? Is there perhaps a feeling that you've been avoiding? Listening to a song that reflects your mood can be a great way to gain awareness of your emotions.
A curated playlist to keep your mind calm and grounded
I have added here a list of songs that I have used in my sessions to help my clients calm their minds and stay grounded in the present moment. You can either sit down on your chair or lie down. Try to find a comfortable position that suits you. Close your eyes and put on the playlist. You can focus on one particular feeling, or let your mind wander. Don’t worry if you get distracted by your thoughts. Just notice it, let go of them and come back to the music, to your breath.
Creating a playlist
You can begin creating your own playlist that resonates with your identity and feelings. You can start by listening to songs that come up and see whether you feel a connection to them. Spotify also suggests songs that sound similar to the songs in your playlist. You may find certain themes coming up. Trust the process and note these songs down. Give them a listen in a comfortable space. Notice if these songs have lyrics or are they instrumental? Are they fast or slow? These playlists are unique to us and can help us find a connection to ourselves.
Do what makes you feel good
Start by picking one technique that feels most comfortable. Perhaps you find that breathing exercises work best for you? Maybe writing is your thing? You can try out some of them and then decide. What is important is that you are curious about your emotions and feelings and what comes up.
I am an English-speaking online counsellor in Berlin. You can contact me here or via email at arulacounselling@proton.me. I look forward to connecting with you.