How Music Helps Us Cope With Stress
- Andrew Chong UIUC
- Apr 21, 2020
- 2 min read
To manage stress efficiently, it is preferable to choose music that helps us counter these negative moods and emotions. Instrumental music is a good option, as it more effective in stimulating pleasant emotions and prevents us from focusing on the lyrics says Andrew Chong.
By Andrew Chong UIUC, Student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Music is an essential part of our lives. We wake up with it, sing the tune in the shower, it accompanies us on our trips, we dance to it, live it, fall in love with music; it makes us happy. Some people even claim that it is mandatory in life and that a day without music is like a day without sun.
I moved to Shanghai during my father’s expat assignment. It was refreshing, challenging and mentally stimulating at the same time. I experienced many different cultures–first by attending a British International School and then an American middle school. Being able to meet people of various cultures and backgrounds helped me become more aware, kind and curious. It magnified the desire to explore the world. It was in China, when I first picked up, now my long companion – cello.
Music helped me stay focused and cope with various hardships in life. Music enriches one’s entire personality. It helped me get into a routine that provided me with a fresh outlook on life, and on how intertwined those two are.
After returning to Bay Area, I started teaching cello at the Academy of Arts and Music for Special Education (AMASE) and has, over time, realized the profound ways in which music helps us, especially when it comes to those with special needs. The healing effects that music has on both our body and mind are real and scientifically proven.
Listening to music is one of the few activities that encourage the full use of the brain. In addition to vibrating the eardrums, it has a positive effect on our health and well-being. Music benefits us both mentally and physically, influences our mood, our cognitive abilities, and creativity.
Singing Along to Music Strengthens Your Personality
Past experiences suggest that our choice of relaxation music helps build character. We learn new things about ourselves by being conscious of what kind of music relaxes us.
It is never a question of being able to sing. Singing is a self-imposed feedback loop that swings up and down, where the person who’s singing, continuously readjusts themselves to correct what they’re thinking and how they’re acting.
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