If you’re also looking for a simple, cheap, and efficient way of getting rid of anxiety, the answer might lie in your pocket. Connecting those headphones to your smartphone or laptop and starting your favorite playlist can do the trick for you.
A new study of a team from Ryerson University confirms what many people have already suspected: music can indeed overcome anxiety. Therefore, we should think about our playlists more when we have anxiety episodes.
It’s time to rely more on Auditory beat stimulation (ABS)
The team behind the new study is also rooting for auditory beat stimulation (ABS). There’s no wonder why, as ABS involves a combination of tones that are designed to produce certain changes in the activity of our brains.
The new study assessed 163 patients who were taking meds for anxiety, and they got exposed to music. An AI system selected the right tracks based on the participants’ musical preferences and their emotional state. Researchers observed that anxiety symptoms were significantly reduced. However, the greatest improvements regarding cognitive state anxiety were seen in those suffering from moderate anxiety who listened to both ABS and more ‘normal’ music.
In a media release, the team explained:
With the pandemic and remote work, there has been a remarkable uptick in the use of digital health tools to support mental health. The results of this clinical trial indicate great promise for the use of digital health tools, such as LUCID’s digital music therapy, in the management of anxiety and other mental health conditions.
The findings from this research are exciting as they indicate that personalized music shows great promise in effectively reducing anxiety in specific segments of the population that suffer from anxiety
Anxiety usually comes along with depression, and more and more people have been dealing with such issues in recent years. More ways of overcoming these unpleasant conditions are indeed always welcomed.
The new study was published in PLOS One.
