Fighting Stress For a Song

STRESS!

Photo by LarMG

Stress, it seems, is the air we breathe. In work, play, family life, child rearing, and certainly your politics (don't even get me started on the election!), if you aren't stressed out you just aren't doing it right. And eventually somebody -- your boss, another parent, an earnest co-worker fearing for the state of our country -- will call you out if you're not taking whatever it is seriously enough, as indicated by how stressed you are.

Stress is the badge that says, why, yes, I am a committed, hard working employee or, yes, I do have my kid enlisted in every extra-curricular activity I can find thereby qualifying me as a good parent or, yes, I am straining every nerve to get this candidate elected and these policies enacted (or repealed) in order to save the nation.

But, by the same token, we know all this stress is bad for us. Doctors tell us that all  the  time. But what can we do about it? How can we decrease that harmful stress while still meriting our "yes-I'm-really-taking-all-this-extremely-seriously" badges?

There are hundreds of webpages out there, some by actual doctors, about managing your stress, with dozens and dozens of suggestions and techniques. Since I (usually) write 'a few paragraphs' I'm just going to tell you about one that only takes 8 minutes and takes no effort. And here it is: listen to the song at the end of this article.

'Weightless' is by a British musical group called Marconi Union that worked with the British Academy of Sound Therapy to create a song that calms anxiety, slows your heartbeat, and lowers blood pressure. Scientists at a behavior research company called Mindlab found that listening to the song can lower your overall anxiety level by 65% and reduce your normal resting pulse, blood pressure, etc. by 35%.

However that may be, they rated 'Weightless' #1 in their list of the 10 most relaxation-producing songs known to mankind. And I have to report that, despite my initial skepticism, when I lay down in the dark with 'Weightless' on my headphones, it had an almost surprising relaxation effect on me. It took me a while to make myself get up when it was done.

Give it a try and see if it helps you relax too.