Photo: Retha Ferguson, Pexels.
No matter your age or personal situation you have more than likely had a few stressful days. Stress is very common in today’s fast paced society, and it is important that everybody takes the time every now and then to step back and have a break to ensure your stress doesn’t build up (and eventually explode).
One of the best ways to relax and unwind is to listen to music, but not just any type of music – relaxing music. There is pretty much no way that doof doof electronic music is going to help you relax! You may already have your methods for relaxing, but you should definitely try to add listening to relaxing music to the list as it could help you chill out even faster.
It could be a good idea to create your own relaxing/ chill playlist on your phone, so no matter where you are you have your playlist at the ready for instant chill time. There are certainly a lot of different relaxing songs available, so there would be plenty that match your individual preferences.
If you aren’t exactly sure where to start when finding some chill songs, then you should try a radio specifically playing chill songs. A chill radio as you might call it, will have all the classic songs as well as the newer, more popular ones.
So even if you already have a pretty good playlist established, you should still check the radio to see if there are any new songs that could be added. Over time your playlist will grow pretty big, meaning you have the potential to relax for even longer!
There are actually many different reasons as it why it is important to listen to relaxing music on a regular basis, with stress reduction probably the main one. Have a look below at some of the main benefits of listening to relaxing music:
As mentioned in the introduction, listening to relaxing music helps to reduce your stress levels. There have been a number of studies that actually link relaxation music to a reduction in stress and anxiety. Soft and calming music clears the mind and can help you to focus on your breathing.
Obviously, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you reduce your stress you will feel better. Who doesn’t want to feel better? Finding your happy place is made easy with chill music, so make sure you have that playlist, or radio station, at the ready when you need to de-stress and have some you time.
Listening to relaxing music before going to sleep can indeed make you sleep for long and better; research suggests. Many people are struggling to fall asleep with so much additional stimulation these days though technology like smart TVs, phones, tablets, laptops etc.
With all this extra stuff floating around, combined with your own thoughts, it can be difficult to fall asleep. This is where relaxing music comes in handy as it can help to clear your mind and relax (from the first point above). Once you are in a more relaxed state it becomes easier to fall asleep have a good night’s rest.
For those who like to meditate, it is a good idea to add music here as well (if you haven’t already). Relaxing music helps the distractions disappear which means you can focus better on your meditation session. For those suffering from high levels of stress or anxiety, then it is certainly recommended that you meditate with the assistance of music.
There are even a lot of guided meditations available online which also include nature sounds (like a rain forest or the ocean) to help you find your zen and keep you there until it is time to re-join the world again.
In the previous points all that was mentioned was about how relaxing music can help your mind. Well, it turns out that music can actually help your body as well, especially when combined with other aspects such as a massage or a nice hot bath in the comfort of your own home.
By relaxing your mind you may find that you are also in a way un-clenching your body. Over time you will find that you have pain points on your body, like knots in your back for example. When listening to relaxing music you can almost feel your body become looser.
While some music can actually be counter intuitive when trying to concentrate, this is not the case for chill music. This type of music can help relax your mind and get you focused on the task ahead. Without those pesky distractions you are more likely to meet deadlines and get a better quality piece of work done.
When your full level of concentration is needed then it’s time to whip out your relax playlist or listen to a chill radio so you can focus and get the work done. This could even potentially lead to more free time in other aspects of your life.
Anyone who is a parent knows just how difficult it can be to get your new born children (or younger children) to go to sleep. Even when they do fall asleep they usually tend to wake up at multiple times of the night, leaving both yourself and your child very cranky and sleep deprived.
Well, this is where relaxing music comes in, not only can it help adults fall asleep and get a better night’s rest, it can also help children. Here, it might take a bit of trial and error before you find the songs that your infant or young child enjoys the most. But once you find the set of tunes both you and your children can finally get the rest you need and deserve.
Along the same lines of the ‘helps you concentrate at work (or school)’, relaxing music is found to help you study better. No matter if you are in primary school all the way through completing your doctorate, study is pretty important so you will need to focus. Chill music is certainly one of the best ways to ensure your study session is top notch.
When studying it is all about minimising distractions, and listening to music (and chill music in particular) will be very helpful. It’s a good idea to have your playlist ready to go to maximise your study time and just focus on what you need to learn.
Relaxing music can help to start your day right and set you up for whatever the rest of the day has in store for you. It is important to start your day with a positive mindset, especially when you have something particularly important on during the way.
Chill music will help to relax yourself before you leave the house, find your zen and get ready for whatever you’ve got on. Maybe you could set your alarm with a relaxing song (that will still actually wake you up!) so you are not aggressively woken up.