Jennifer Buchanan's Blog, page 4

My Mentor – Fran Herman

Last week the life of Fran Herman was celebrated at the Canadian Music Therapy Fund Centre. I had the pleasure to share a few words from the Canadian Association of Music Therapists and music therapists from around the world who have loved and learned from Fran. 

Here is a little of what I shared:

In 2009 I interviewed Fran for a global online journal. At that time she was over 80 and I asked if she had any intention of retiring – and then we giggled. Oh, how I loved her giggle.  You see at that time she had moved seamlessly from musician to music therapist to mother to fundraiser-in-chief – Over all the years I had known Fran I had never heard the word retirement utter from her lips.

This particular interview happened just after she was recognized by the Music Industries Association of Canada with their inaugural MIAC award for Advocacy for music for children. I mentioned that I was certain the award would mean something to her – but perhaps it should also mean something to music therapists? 

This is how she responded:

“Well, all I can say is that I hope it makes music therapists learn that little by little people are getting to know this term (music therapy) and perhaps it will open some doors for them. I think that every little step we achieve helps make people realize how empowering music therapy can be. Every time we have success with a client, every time we touch someone and there is a response that benefits them positively, it helps to widen the awareness – and this is what will ensure the profession grows.”

Well Fran we plan to continue to do just that!!!

From the classrooms to corrections, from the boardroom to the palliative care unit, from Intensive Care to the Music Therapy Centre and everywhere in between we will continue to do this work that changes lives every day.

So from all of us music therapists who have benefitted from your stories, your insights, your advocacy, your hospitality, your humour, your pointed comments when something wasn’t right, your friendship and your love – thank you Fran.  We (me the most) miss you. #rip

The post My Mentor – Fran Herman appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

The Fuel you Need to Drive Your Dream

Music is a powerful expression not only for mood, memory and motivation but also to build bridges between people, transcend cultural and socio-economic boundaries and to strengthen helpful insights as people pursue their dreams. In 1991 I was a brand new music therapist and there were no music therapy jobs for which to apply. If I was to do the work I was excited about, I would have to create a private practice and access clients myself.

The big dream is the cornerstone of any business, regardless of its size. When you step into the role of entrepreneur and business owner, you are essentially claiming your spot as a leader and trailblazer within your sector and community.  My dream was to introduce music therapy to a new community (Calgary) and work with all those who would benefit from this incredible profession they didn’t know about yet. In order to do that I needed to do TWO important things:

1. Know the dream.

Defining the dream, as simple as that sounds, coupled with setting the culture/spirit/feeling of your private practice is one of the most critical factors when building a business. It sets the course and makes the next decision easier. 

A business’s vision typically starts with one person – the Founder, the CEO, the Owner. In those very few months of starting my private practice, I didn’t have a vision written down  – but I sure felt it. I envisioned every one of my future clients from two months old to 106 and how music therapy would impact their life. Feeling that dream would help me share the dream later on.  Over time I was able to define it more and more.  The latest incarnation can be found in our mission statement:

JB Music Therapy is a company that empowers and connects every person to their best self regardless of circumstance. We champion music therapy through excellence in clinical practice and public education, transforming lives one note at a time.

As soon as my personal practice filled up (within the first year) I knew that if I was to serve all those who would benefit I wouldn’t be able to do it alone. It was time to share the dream. 

2. Share the dream.

In the early years, I kept my business mission inside of me – just letting it out bits and pieces at a time. I did this because I wasn’t sure it would grow. Was it possible to build a sustainable service that no one had heard about – yet?

Organically JB Music Therapy grew and grew. And soon it became evident that JB Music Therapy belonged to a much bigger group  – our team, our clients, the larger organizations that support our clients, the families of our clients, and our larger community.  The late Warren Bennis reminds us that “at the heart of every great group is a shared dream.”   The more we shared – the bigger our group became. 

Here are some of the ways our dream has been expressed over the last 30 years:

On average we provide 7500 clinical hours each year with infants to elders in hospitals, care homes, day programs, and online.Built a therapy team to twenty certified music therapists (MTAs) from across North America.Entered into some incredible partnerships to provide music therapy in complex organizations and across many facilities.Helped over 50 new music therapists complete their required 1000-hour internship to become certified music therapists (MTAs).Participated in several research studies.Shared music therapy stories and music’s health and wellness benefits at national and international conferences.Been awarded service recognitions by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Association of the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured, Project HOPE, Canadian Association of Music Therapists, Calgary Board of Education, and nominated for the Community Impact Award through Calgary’s Chamber of Commerce.

Social purpose businesses like ours need to focus on more than the bottom line, they need to look up to the top line, the higher purpose and the people that your business is serving and advocating for. There is no better way to engage in the importance of this than interacting with the dream – knowing it and sharing it.

As the owner of JB Music Therapy, it is important that I continue to Drive this Dream to the best of my abilities – and this means remembering I can always share the wheel and pull over to refuel.  It is important to always have enough fuel in the tank because your dream is meant to be shared!

*If you are interested, click here for the playlist I put together last month to help me Drive the Dream in 2022 #MyPlaylist2022

The post The Fuel you Need to Drive Your Dream appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

Two Critical Factors to Drive Your Dream

 

Music is such a powerful expression not only for inspiration but also to build bridges between people, transcend cultural and socio-economic boundaries and provides incredible insights and therapy when music therapists use its effects and impacts.

I moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1991. I was a new music therapist and there were no music therapy jobs to apply for. If I was to do the work I felt born to do I would have to create a private practice and find my clients myself.

The big dream is the cornerstone of any business, regardless of its size. When you step into the role of entrepreneur and business owner, you are essentially claiming your spot as a leader and trailblazer within your industry and community. This frames your position as one that will contribute to something greater than yourself.

1. Know the dream.

Defining the dream, as simple as that sounds, coupled with setting the culture/spirit/feeling of your company are the most critical factors when building a business. It sets the course and makes each next decision easier.  My dream was to do meaningful work everyday.

A business’s vision typically starts with one person – the CEO or owner. In those very first few days and weeks of starting my business in 1991, I didn’t have a vision written down – I didn’t know you were supposed to – but I sure felt one.

I envisioned every one of my future clients from two months old to 106 and how music therapy would impact their life. Feeling that dream would help me imprint the dream on others later on.

Lisa Longball – says – Drive Determines Distance.

What dream do you feel you are a part of?

2. Share the dream.

For years I kept my business mission inside of me – just letting it out bits and pieces at a time. Keeping it so close lead to many anxious nights and hours of “whirring” (a combination of worry and spiraling). On top of that I was focused on trying to please everyone.

These two energy-sucking activities kept me from effectively spreading the dream because the dream was not clear to myself or others. The late Warren Bennis reminds us that “at the heart of every great group is a shared dream.” When I embraced that my group was my city and everyone in it, my business grew.

Today my dream is to take that one step further and to share our business model with others so they too can impact their community by spreading their dream.  Here are some of the ways we have expressed our dream over the last 30 years:

We have built our therapy team to twenty certified music therapists from across North America.We provide, on average, 7500 clinical hours each year with infants to elders in hospitals, care homes, day programs and online.We have entered into some incredible partnerships to provide music therapy in complex organizationsprovided 57 internshipsOver three years JB Music Therapy was recognized for its commitment to community development, nominated for the Community Impact Award through Calgary’s Chamber of Commerce.Continues to live our mission statement

Unfortunately, far too often, mission statements are witnessed as empty lip service to values that aren’t lived every day by the leaders of an organization. The impact of this can be felt most during an economic downturn where the company and its team are grappling about what to hold on to. Without a strong vision, the owner and team members may not have sufficient motivation to complete a project and to persevere when times get tough.  You can read JB Music Therapy’s Dream Here.

Research shows that for organizations to be successful, the team must feel you are all moving towards a meaningful goal, a fulfilling purpose, a reason to be doing what you are doing. This is becoming even more true with our millennial workforce.

Social purpose businesses, in particular, need to focus on more than the bottom line, they need to look up to the top line, the higher purpose and the people that your business is serving and advocating for. There is no better way engage into the importance of this than through the dream.

This ‘Music Therapy in Practice’  Blog Series will continue to address more critical factors to ensure music therapy continues to grow throughout North America and throughout the world.

For now, take time to review your mission and ask these questions of yourself and your team:

Does your mission inspire you? Do you get a goose bump or two when you read it? Who are you fighting for?

Pro tip: As a music therapist I like using music to help anchor a feeling.  Last month’s blog post shared #MyPlaylist2022 – entitled Drive the Dream – the feeling I want to take with me into 2022. As we look at Music Therapy in Practice let’s use music to help us.

The post Two Critical Factors to Drive Your Dream appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

3 Steps to Creating a Purposeful Playlist for 2022

Let’s get together this month to plan our playlist for 2022 (mine is at the end of this post)!

It may not be a resolution, a goal, or even an intention..but a FEELING you hope to take with you into the new year. I know the concept of a new year is just an arbitrary designation of time, but life is truly short – so taking an opportunity for more meaning in a moment can’t hurt.

Let’s give some vision time to our auditory diet this season. Curate what you value.

Music adds meaning into moments…and in the case of our #Playlist2022 I hope it will make our whole next year even more meaningful.

1. Choose a goal, intention, or desired feeling to take into 2022 – 

I recognize you may have several whys for using music—to de-stress, to boost your memory, to increase your productivity, to lessen your anxiety. Whatever your objective may be, just naming it will help. In her book The Success–Energy Equation, Michelle Cederberg puts it this way: “When you set a goal, your attention is naturally drawn toward what you should do next. Your brain starts to look for ways to accomplish that goal and you gain focus, which is an antidote to all the distractions and low-priority tasks that compete for your attention every day.” Cederberg goes on to discuss goals in the most beautiful and musical way: “If your goals don’t resonate with you at a deeper level it will be hard to stay connected to them.”

So why do you need a purpose playlist? Here are some of the most popular goals I have heard from family, friends, and clients:

For comfortTo reduce stressTo lessen anxietyTo improve moodTo find purposeTo increase productivityTo boost creativityTo feel inspiredTo strengthen relationshipsFor general self-care

Take a moment to reflect upon one or more overarching goals you have in your life. Big goals help us expand our vision and stay open to possibilities. This mindset will help us move through the exercises seeking sustainable benefits.

2. Choose your Songs

Choosing songs that every time you hear them express the feeling you have chosen as your goal – your intention. As I was putting mine together I started to feel guilty letting go of some of the songs I had originally chosen – because I love those songs. I had to keep reminding myself that just because the song isn’t on this playlist doesn’t mean I have to stop liking that song – it just doesn’t fit this playlist.  There are many more playlists in Wellness, Wellplayed where they can be shared.  Some of the songs I have selected surprised me.  They are not my regular listening songs but when I really honed into my intention – they did the trick. I have been working on my playlist all month and I currently have 26 songs (changing all the time). I am aiming for 40 – 50 so I can have a really good shuffle throughout all of next year.

3. Share your playlist – on Social Media, Music HUB, or directly with me!

Let’s share our playlists on your favourite streaming service or send me your list via social media and let’s tag #MyPlaylist2022 so I can find it!

In Wellness, Wellplayed I share another idea – the 6 steps for starting a Music Hub. A place where music lovers are looking to meet fellow music lovers. A place to show off our tastes and learn what others like. A great way to encourage us to pay attention to our current listening habits while also discovering new music. A place to dig deeply into our memories and to create new ones. Perhaps you can already envision the perfect group of old or new friends you feel would be interested in getting together to talk music?

Thanks for joining me on this journey of setting our 2022 Intention in Music – here’s mine,!

My goal/intention for 2022 is to DRIVE and HAVE DRIVE.  Driving my life has been erratic for the last couple of years – sometimes I have had to pull over, fix the engine and fill with gas BUT I continued to be in the driver’s seat and I plan to keep doing that into 2022 with even more vibrancy, clarity and chutzpa as my friend Fran Herman would say.

The name of my playlist is the action I am taking to DRIVE THE DREAM I started in 1991 and I am going to keep going until I am ready to stop.

 

The post 3 Steps to Creating a Purposeful Playlist for 2022 appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

The Problem with Christmas Music – and 5 Ways to Fix It

Christmas music is everywhere and it seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year. Memories of ‘Christmas Past’ flood back during the first bars of “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree.” For some a happiness chord is struck, joy is released, and a newfound lightness settles in for the month.

For others, Christmas music brings on very different feelings. Some people hear Christmas music and feel immediately agitated and annoyed, some more seriously than others. They may reach for the wine bottle or crank up their favorite rock album. Tension sets in and contentedness is replaced by a deep ache of grief and loss.

Music’s capacity to trigger memories is one of the core tenants of music therapy. It drives a lot of the music therapist’s treatment design. When used with the right intention, frequency, and intensity, music has the power to take individuals from feeling totally lost to feeling comforted and less alone, and so much more.

Here are 5 ways music can help you through the Christmas season:

1. Introduce new music into your personal soundtrack. With today’s technology and on-demand music services, Christmas is a great time to access brand new music in order to massage your auditory cortex and your imagination. Music stimulates creativity by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain – transforming a sleepy brain into a stimulated brain. We often feel happiest when we embrace our creativity and music can help us get there.

2. Listen to seasonal music with no lyrics and perhaps a new groove. If you are a non-preferred-Christmas-listener (NPCL) but your mom is coming over to bake her best shortbread, try instrumental Christmas music with a unique beat (e.g., reggae). Music has the capacity to change our emotional state. Changing a negative or resistant emotional state is at the root of getting into a positive, productive state. This can be particularly helpful during cookie baking season.

3. Listen to music that soothes you and that can help you de-stress during this high stress season. The right music relaxes the mind and lowers cortisol levels. When used intentionally, there is ample evidence to suggest music can make a difference in lowering anxiety and reducing your stress. 

4. Use music to feel connected to those you cannot be with in person. Music is a powerful anchor and roots people into the moment, helping their memory to maintain important data for later, and helping them feel more connected to those they care about, even when separated by death or distance. Music can boost memories while allowing our brain to access its reserves and remember important events and information. 

5. Socialize to your favorite music of the season – whatever that may be. Music inspires us and creates a clear passage to health. Take time for live music (making or watching), singing together, and enjoying one another’s company through music – in-person or online. Focus on creating new, more positive memories for future years to come.

When to get help

For those who are struggling to face the season; feeling overwhelmed; or sinking deeper and deeper in a state of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, worry, or guilt, it is really important that you talk to someone, such as a counselor, therapist, nurse or doctor. This life is tough to get through alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Find links to the research here.

The post The Problem with Christmas Music – and 5 Ways to Fix It appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

Infographic – Playlist

Infographic – Playlist

The post Infographic – Playlist appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

Protected: PIEAT Workplace Jam!!!

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

The post Protected: PIEAT Workplace Jam!!! appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

A Music Therapist’s Songbook

I have created a variety of different playlists in my life – many I have described in Wellness, Wellplayed so others can experience the memory, motivation and mood boosts too.

Playlists and songbooks are just two of the many resources in a Music Therapist’s toolkit.

Putting together a Music Therapist’s Songbook is not based on the therapist’s own preferences or choices (although many are certainly included) but instead are the most requested artists and songs selected by an extremely diverse audience – their clients.

I am delighted to share the most frequently requested songs during my 30 years of providing music therapy in Alberta, Canada.

I am always open to adding to this list – what do you feel is missing?  Send me an email!

<br /> <br />

Email address protected by JavaScript.

Please enable JavaScript to contact me.

The post A Music Therapist’s Songbook appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

How the Brain Processes Music

Science is catching up with what music therapists have been witnessing for many decades — the fact that music can change the way a person feels, thinks, and behaves. Thanks to medical technologies, the public has awakened to the power and potential of using music in almost every health and educational context — and why it’s important that we do.

For thousands of years, people have sung, performed, and enjoyed music. Researchers have consistently observed that people from all corners of the world listen to or create some type of music, and that all people recognize music when they hear it. While music from various cultures differs in flavor and has myriad different meanings and emotions associated with it, every single culture makes music.

Neurologists have long known that there were areas of the brain specifically dedicated to processing music, and with the advent of advanced brain imaging technology, they’ve discovered that music’s reach is far more extensive than previously believed. When we listen to music, sound vibrations in the ear are converted to neural messages and transmitted to the thalamus, the brain’s “sensory relay station.” After reaching the thalamus, sound information is passed to the auditory cortex and instantaneously broken down into many different elements including, but not limited to, timing, pitch, and timbre (tone). Auditory information is also sent to other parts of the brain to be compared against historical associations and emotional responses (do I like it or not?), stimulating many parts of the brain in both hemispheres.

Although neurologists are still exploring how the auditory cortex functions, they now believe that music processing is much more complex than initially imagined, and involves many more parts of the brain than previously suspected. 

Bonus – here is all the corresponding research from the book Wellness, Wellplayed (the home of this illustration)

 

Prefrontal Cortex

music influences our cognitive processes

Moreno, S., Can Music Influence Language and Cognition? Contemporary Music Review, 2009. 28(3): p. 329-345.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/1...

 

Motor Cortex

involved in music-related movements including dancing and playing

Li, G., et al., Identifying enhanced cortico-basal ganglia loops associated with prolonged dance training. Scientific Reports, 2015. 5(1): p. 10271.

Herholz, Sibylle C. and Robert J. Zatorre, Musical Training as a Framework for Brain Plasticity: Behavior, Function, and Structure. Neuron, 2012. 76(3): p. 486-502.

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep1...

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/p...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23141...

Corpus Callosum

connects the two hemispheres and is larger in musicians

Schlaug, G., et al., Increased corpus callosum size in musicians. Neuropsychologia, 1995. 33(8): p. 1047-1055.

Münte, T.F., E. Altenmüller, and L. Jäncke, The musician’s brain as a model of neuroplasticity. Nat Rev Neurosci, 2002. 3(6): p. 473-8.

Steele, C.J., et al., Early Musical Training and White-Matter Plasticity in the Corpus Callosum: Evidence for a Sensitive Period. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2013. 33(3): p. 1282-1290.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8524453

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12042882

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/...

https://www.science.org/news/2008/04/...

Amygdala

enhances our memories of emotional experiences

Hermans, E.J., et al., How the amygdala affects emotional memory by altering brain network properties. Neurobiol Learn Mem, 2014. 112: p. 2-16.

Yang, Y. and J.-Z. Wang, From Structure to Behavior in Basolateral Amygdala-Hippocampus Circuits. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 2017. 11(86).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24583373

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/...

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/p...

https://www.dana.org/article/beyond-e...

Cerebellum

helps process and regulate rhythm and timing

Nozaradan, S., et al., Specific contributions of basal ganglia and cerebellum to the neural tracking of rhythm. Cortex, 2017. 95: p. 156-168.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28910668

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/p...

Sensory Cortex

processes tactile feedback when dancing or playing instruments

Olszewska, A.M., et al., How Musical Training Shapes the Adult Brain: Predispositions and Neuroplasticity. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2021. 15(204).

Borich, M.R., et al., Understanding the role of the primary somatosensory cortex: Opportunities for rehabilitation. Neuropsychologia, 2015. 79(Pt B): p. 246-255

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/p...

Auditory Cortex

analyzes sounds and tone

Nelken, I., Music and the Auditory Brain: Where is the Connection? Frontiers in human neuroscience, 2011. 5: p. 106-106.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/p...

Hippocampus

involved in music memories, experiences and context

Koelsch, S., Investigating the neural encoding of emotion with music. Neuron, 2018. 98(6): p. 1075-1079

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29953870

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/p...

Visual Cortex

stimulated when reading music, watching others dance or music videos

Huff, T., N. Mahabadi, and P. Tadi, Neuroanatomy, Visual Cortex, in StatPearls. 2021, StatPearls Publishing. Copyright © 2021, StatPearls Publishing LLC.: Treasure Island (FL)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29494110

The post How the Brain Processes Music appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.

Music is “Hormonious”

Feeling good feels good. In 1977, Ian Dury released his single “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll,” a phrase that would be adopted by pop culture for years to come. Sex, drugs, and music all affect the regions of our brain that comprise our “reward system,” using the neurotransmitter dopamine to communicate and enhance reward-related memories. With today’s onslaught of negative media, opportunities like these to strengthen our synapses for good are certainly beneficial and useful exercises. 

I was speaking to a studious-looking MD after a presentation I gave in Saskatchewan, Canada. An avid music lover, he had been sharing the health benefits of music and reasons to socially prescribe it for years. We went on to discuss the benefits of listening to music frequently and intentionally and the fact that we’d both observed how music helped our patients feel better. He said, “I prescribe medicine to ease the pain, and you treat with music to do the same — they both have tremendous benefit.”

Sometimes life can throw you for a loop and what was once manageable becomes difficult or overwhelming. In the field of neuroscience, it is widely acknowledged that emotional and physical wellbeing are closely intertwined. Emotional distress and chemical imbalance in our brains and bodies are intimately linked. Medications can help to stabilize chemical imbalances and serve an important role in the treatment of mental health disorders. However, it can be challenging to find the right medication balance and mood-stabilizing medications often come with undesirable side effects. 

Music offers an alternative that can help us tap into our intrinsic mood-stabilization systems that are mediated by hormones and neurotransmitters. As neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, and best-selling author Daniel Levitin puts it, “The promise here is that music is arguably less expensive than drugs, and it’s easier on the body.”

The term “hormonal” is usually associated with our mood and the swings it can go through, but in reality hormones play a role in almost every bodily function and can be influenced by external forces — with music as no exception.

That is why we can say that, as humans, we are truly hormonious!

Like hormones, neurotransmitters play a crucial role in bodily function as well as emotional and mental wellbeing. You have heard about them a lot – here is a quick recap:

Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that can also act as a hormone, by entering the bloodstream and affecting regions outside the brain. When it comes to listening and interacting with our favorite music, dopamine is known as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter because it stimulates our pleasure receptors and helps us feel more positive about life. These feel-good moments can lead to greater focus and productivity.

Serotonin

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is important to the regulation of our mood. Music is widely thought to promote mood stabilization by acting on our serotonin system. Dr. Teresa Lesiuk studied music listening for positive mood change. Lesiuk’s work validates what many of us have experienced over our lifetimes — listening to music while we work helps us be happier and more creative. 

Oxytocin

My experience has repeatedly shown that music is effective and very efficient at fostering positive social interactions by promoting trust and cooperation within even the most diverse gathering of people. Dr. Alan Harvey puts it this way: “In a group context, music-related activities … encourage the formation of bigger social networks, help to define cultural identity, and may represent a ‘safe-haven’ in which individuals can interact and share experiences.” In his research from 2020, he goes on to document the links between music and the hormone oxytocin and the influence they have on physical and mental well-being, the key roles they play in bonding and feelings of attachment, and their positive impact on social recognition and social memory.

Cortisol

Our levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, have been shown to drop dramatically when we listen to relaxing music. The lower the levels of cortisol, the less stressed or anxious we feel. In patients undergoing surgery, music has been found to be just as effective as anti-anxiety medication at lowering pre-operative anxiety.

The evidence here is quite clear — music acts like a drug.

Keeping that in mind, it is important we use it responsibly.

__________________________________________________________

Grateful to all the researchers out there who make articles like possible.

Chanda, Mona Lisa, and Daniel J. Levitin. 2013. “The Neurochemistry of Music.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences: 179–93.

Linnemann A, Ditzen B, Strahler J, Doerr JM, Nater UM. Music listening as a means of stress reduction in daily life. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015 Oct;60:82–90. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.06.008. Epub 2015 Jun 21. PMID: 26142566.

Berbel P, Moix J, Quintana S. Estudio comparativo de la eficacia de la música frente al diazepam para disminuir la ansiedad prequirúirgica: un ensayo clínico controlado y aleatorizado [Music versus diazepam to reduce preoperative anxiety: a randomized controlled clinical trial]. Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim. 2007 Jun-Jul;54(6):355–8. Spanish. PMID: 17695946

The post Music is “Hormonious” appeared first on Jennifer Buchanan - How to Amplify Mood, Memory and Motivation.