I’ve always been very proud of my music selection, but I guess that what makes me prouder is the way I’ve organized it. It took me days, but I created the most amazing playlist for parties. That’s right, I spent days arranging the perfect playlist for any kind of party. However, one good day that I had to take the subway, I put on my headphones and wasn’t able to decide what to hear. I just shuffled all my music. Not a great idea, songs that I only enjoy dancing at a party were not exactly the best companion for a subway ride. I realized I had to make a new playlist for any situation ever. Ok, I’m exaggerating, but I did spend about a week and a half making lists for almost every scenario in my daily life. So, I made a playlist with classic hits (including The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine soundtrack, of course) to study and work, one for road trips, one for sleeping (yes, I either watch TV or listen to music to do so, and yes, I know it’s not very healthy). But then, I found a flaw in my super arrangement: what about music to listen to at any given emotional circumstance? You know the drill: celebration, breakup, happiness, actually for anything. I bet many of you are like me (not the obsessive part, or maybe that as well), and you use music to create your life’s soundtrack. So, what about a playlist to reduce your anxiety levels?
That’s a playlist we all need in our lives, honestly. While it’s true that there are songs we give an emotional value to and that, no matter the genre, they’ll always calm us in moments of stress, a group of neuroscientists, led by Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson, clinical psychologist specialized in the treatment of anxiety, stress, and phobias, studied specific songs based on their tempo, rhythm, beat, among other of its structures. They found out that there are songs that trigger reactions in our brain that actually helps us reduce anxiety.
In the study conducted by Dr. Lewis-Hodgson, different people were connected to a machine through sensors. To increase their anxiety levels, they were asked to complete a series of puzzles with a time limit. Then they would try playing them a variation of songs to determine which is the formula that helps reduce the stress levels considerably. Finally, they came up with a list of 10 songs that, according to their results, are the best to help people deal with anxiety.
It’s not that hard to see how this is effective. Music is capable of moving us on so many levels. Dr. Jacob Jolij, a Dutch cognitive neuroscientist, led a study determining that “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen was the happiest song of the last 50 years, so there must be a perfect song to any emotion. While neuroscientists work on that, sit down and get ready to be relaxed!
1.“Weightless” by Marconi Union
2.“Electra” by Airstream
3.“Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix)” by DJ Shah
4.“Watermark” by Enya
5.“Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay
6.“Please Don’t Go” by Barcelona
7.“Pure Shores” by All Saints
8.“Someone Like You” by Adele
9.“Canzonetta Sull’aria” by Mozart
10.“We Can Fly” by Rue du Soleil (Café Del Mar)
Now you know, whenever anxiety strikes, there’s a way to defeat it!
It’s not just me. There is literally one song for every situation, since we always bestow a personal meaning on music. If you need some inspiration to create the perfect playlist, here are some suggestions:
30 Songs To Make Someone Fall In Love With You
Covers Of Classic Songs You Can Dedicate If You Are An Old Soul
31 Songs Of Hate, Bitterness, And Disillusion That Will Carry You Through A Breakup
Source:Inc
