“Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.”
– Debasish Mridha
The kids are running around the living room in circles….which means the dogs are chasing them, barking, loudly….my husband is watering the plants out back…I’m trying to make dinner so it will be ready at a decent hour. I’m also highly sensitive and overwhelmed easily. So here is my go to when things get too stressful quickly –First, I send those kids and dogs out back. Then I ask my Alexa Echo Dot to play “Weightless” by Marconi Union.
I can’t recall where I first heard about this song but it stuck with me. By the end of the song (its relatively long at 8 minutes), I’m much calmer! And according to science I actually am.
So whether you are having a momentary stressful moment like my dinner hour, or you are experiencing chronic stress, finding ways to manage stress levels are important to your health. We know that stress causes chemicals like cortisol to be released that increases health risks like heart disease, depression, and many others.
Music therapy is available and studies have long shown that music can impact performance and mood. But the British Academy of Sound Therapy took it a step further and partnered with the Manchester band Marconi Union to produce a relaxation song featuring guitar, piano, and electronic sounds of natural landscapes that can actually lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, and reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) at never before seen rates – “Weightless.”
It starts at 60 beats per minute (bpm) and slows to around 50bpm which allows your heart rate to fall into sync with the beat after about 5 minutes, so make sure you listen to the end. The lack of repetitive melody prevents your brain from trying to predict what comes next so it can essentially “check out.”
Neuroscientists have confirmed that “Weightless” is 11% more relaxing than any other song including the likes of Mozart and Enya. Anxiety dropped by 65%, even below the participant’s usual resting rate.
It should be noted, that some women were so relaxed they became drowsy so its been advised against driving while listening to this song!
So I hope you’ll take this little calm-down hack and incorporate it into your days when they get hectic. I even created a playlist with the Top 10 Most Relaxing Songs according to the study just for you – enjoy!
Here is the full list of the songs found to be most relaxing – Download the playlist on Spotify Now!
Top 10 Most Relaxing Songs
- “Weightless,” by Marconi Union
- “Electra,” by Airstream
- “Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix),” by DJ Shah
- “Watermark,” by Enya
- “Strawberry Swing,” by Coldplay
- “Please Don’t Go,” by Barcelona
- “Pure Shores,” by All Saints
- “Someone Like You,” by Adele
- “Canzonetta Sull’aria,” by Mozart
- “We Can Fly,” by Rue du Soleil (Café Del Mar)
There’s also a free 10-hour version of “Weightless” available if you want a longer listening experience.
Or grab the CD or Stream on Amazon #ad:
Sources:
https://www.heysigmund.com/its-the-most-relaxing-song-ever-and-it-can-do-this/
Self Care is my Superpower 