Rock Out: The Best Way to Beat Stress!

We experience many demands in our daily lives, and it seems that stress follows us wherever we go. We might feel pressured in our relationships, at work, managing hectic schedules or even from health issues. When we’re stressed, life can be more difficult to navigate. I set up a personal experiment to find the best way to beat stress. And after going through a laundry list of different stress-busting activities, the cure I discovered was so basic, it surprised me. Music!

The power of music

At the end of my experiment when I reflected on each activity, I realized there was a common denominator — I listened to music during everything I did. Whether I practiced deep breathing, wrote in my journal or went for a run, music was always in the background.

I found that music has the ability to lift my mood and inspire me to do things I wouldn’t naturally enjoy doing. While listening to my favorite tunes, I breezed through the first mile of my run, completed work tasks in record time and completely forgot about that guy who stole my parking spot when I was running late. Music moved me when I needed to be motivated and quieted me when I needed to be calmed. Overall, I learned that music elevated my mood and inspired me to be more of the person I strive to be on a daily basis.

Applies to any style, any person

It really doesn’t matter what style of music you listen to, and the benefits of music don’t just apply to adults. This theory was tested on my seven-year-old son when I asked him to clean his room for 30 minutes. He gave it a try with the TV on his first time around, and then again later with his favorite music playing. Virtually nothing had been accomplished while the TV was on, but I was amazed to see that his room was spotless after the second attempt while listening to music.

Here’s my personal indie rock playlist that I use to get motivated. Give it a try, de-stress and rock out!

“Come a Little Closer” Cage the Elephant
“Shut Up and Dance” Walk the Moon
“Do I Wanna Know?” Arctic Monkeys
“Flashback” Calvin Harris
“Smile Like You Mean It” The Killers
“Blue Orchid” White Stripes
“Sail” Awolnation
“Bad Blood” Bastille
“Team” Lorde
“Viva La Vida” Coldplay

Author

Denver Health Medical Plan Staff Writer

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Music

Stress

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Denver Health Medical Plan Blog

The power of music

Applies to any style, any person

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Rock Out: The Best Way to Beat Stress!

The power of music

Applies to any style, any person

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