Most Effective Style to Combat Anxiety
If you are overwhelmed, try to disconnect with the most danceable ‘hits’ of that decade, as research has discovered that it is the most effective style to combat anxiety.
How many mornings have you been to work or to tidy up the house with songs from Blondie, New Order or George Michael in the background? In that case, you are less likely to experience episodes of anxiety or stress. This is recognized by a new study carried out by an international cosmetic surgery company in which they came to the conclusion that this eighties music makes us live with more inner calm and in turn helps us to pass the bumps of life.
Music is a source of happiness, especially for the most music lovers, but within it there are multiple genres and styles that vary around what we want to listen to and its relationship with our state of mind. There will be many people who are relaxed by the fast rhythms of ‘heavy metal’, but as a general rule this research concluded that those who tend to listen to eighties pop songs tend to lead a calmer and more relaxed existence.
“Its joyous and festive sounds may aid in the secretion of endorphins and serotonin, increasing your feelings of calm and happiness.”
ICSC
The study asked 1,540 volunteers ages 18 to 65 to complete a survey based on a series of mental stress tests. In them, they were given a Spotify playlist that included various genres of music, such as the timeless rock ballads of the 1960s, the rock anthems of the 1970s, and the R&B of the 1990s. Participants were also made to listen to less conventional styles, such as ‘dubstep’, jazz or modern classical music.
Thus, the research concluded that it was the pop ballads of the 1980s that were most relaxing to the ears of the participants. So much so, that a decrease in blood pressure was perceived among 96% of the volunteers, as well as a decrease in heart rate in 36%. What issues were responsible for producing these curious effects on the body? Especially the ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by Joy Division, ‘Call Me’ by Blondie , ‘It’s a Sin’ by the Pet Shop Boys, ‘Freedom’ by Wham! or ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ by Bette Midler, among many others.
A Kind of “Positive Nostalgia”
“The results may seem very surprising, but medically they make a lot of sense,” say the authors in the study, in statements collected by ‘The New York Post’.
“These pop hits settled in the 1980s could induce a kind of positive nostalgia in people, and their happy and festive sounds could help the brain to secrete endorphins and serotonin, increasing their feelings of calm and happiness.”
New York Post
What gender came in second in reducing anxiety? Interestingly, ‘heavy metal’, as 89% of those surveyed reported a notable drop in their blood pressure and a drop in their heart rate (18%). Regarding this style, the authors concluded that “angry music can help listeners to process their feelings better and, as a result, lead to greater well-being.” The study also found that techno is the least effective genre for calming anxiety, hence 78% of those surveyed reported an increase in their high blood pressure. Classical music, which ‘a priori’ may seem the most relaxing, did not perform well, as it did not produce significant changes in the participants’ blood pressure and heart rate indices. Therefore, he stayed in the middle of the table.