Using Music to Change Your Mood

Music Can Affect Your Mood

Psychological effect of music and songs

It's generally known that listening to music when feeling down or disappointed can provide relief. What may not be commonly known is that music can also reduce stress, make depression more bearable and help you relax. There is even an expanding field of therapy called music therapy which uses music for healing. The big problem is that some people misuse the effect of music by listening to consecutive and random music and so result in making themselves feel worse!!

What Are the Benefits of Music?

Music has lots of benefits, a few of which will be explained in the following:

• Reducing stress: Music can relax your muscles reduce your breathing rate, both of which are directly related to stress and so contribute effectively to its reduction.
• Makes you happy: Music can stimulate your body to produce serotonin (the happiness hormone) and so elevate your mood.
• Alter your brain waves: Music can alter your brain wave pattern and so elevate your mood even after you stop listening to it.
• Motivates you: Something I am sure you have experienced before is that listening to motivating music can make you become more motivated yourself.

How People Misuse Music

All the previously mentioned benefits of music can only happen if the listener enjoys the music he is listening to. If the listener dislikes the music or finds it boring, it will have a negative effect instead of a positive one.

Now lets look at what most of us do when it comes to listening to music. We usually just listen to a pre-prepared playlist and allow a program like winamp to randomly select what we are going to listen to first. This is where the problem lies. What if you like the first song but are bored of the second? What if the third was a motivating song and the fourth was a slow song? What do you think the result will be??

What you'll have is an emotional mess!! The first song will lift your mood a little, the second will make you a little bored, the third will motivate you and then the fourth will put you down. In the end you'll end up feeling worse than before.

I strongly recommend dividing your playlist into different small lists. For example, a list for relaxation, a list for motivation and so on. Another very important thing is to get rid of all of the old music that you are bored of. After all, it doesn't take more than listening to the first five seconds of any of these songs to make your mood swing.

In my book How to get over anyone in few days i pointed out how the music you listen to can delay your recovery from breakups by months and months!! people who listen to romantic songs after breakups recover 10 times slower than those who don't, so beware of your playlist if you want to recover faster.

Beware of the Anchors

Have you ever listened to a piece of music, then suddenly remembered a past situation? This happens because your mind has previously associated both events with each other, so when one of them occurred you just recalled the second. This is what’s called an anchor.

Watch out for any musical parts that are anchored to your bad memories, because when your random music player chooses this musical part you are likely to feel down or at least get a little irritated.

Beware of the Wording

Some songs contain negative words and phrases that are much more destructive than negative self-talk. Some songs also contain messages that can program your mind, creating new beliefs, by consistently repeating a negative message over and over. A poplar example would be any love song that contains a phrase like “I cant live without you”. The more you will listen to this song, the more you will be programming your mind with such a belief and the more you are likely to end up feeling desperate when you break up with someone.

"Staying Calm"

7 Quick Ways to Calm Down

Anxiety zappers that can rescue you from daily stresses

I'm easily overwhelmed. When my kids' exuberant screams reach a decibel level my ears can't tolerate, when Chuck E., the life-size "rat" at the pizza place, starts doing his jig while flashing arcade lights blind me, or when I open my email to find 100 messages--I feel a meltdown coming on. Which is why I came up with seven quick ways to calm myself down.I turn to these when I don't have time to call my mom and hear her tell me, "Everything is going to be fine." They keep me centered and grounded for as long as possible, and they help me relax my body even during those times when screaming kids and dancing life-size rats converge.

1. Walk Away

Know your triggers. If a conversation about global warming, consumerism, or the trash crisis in the U.S. is overwhelming you, simply excuse yourself. If you're noise-sensitive and the scene at Toys-R-Us makes you want to throw whistling Elmo and his buddies across the store, tell your kids you need a time-out. (Bring along your husband or a friend so you can leave them safely, if need be.) My great-aunt Gigi knew her trigger points, and if a conversation or setting was getting close to them, she simply put one foot in front of another, and departed.

2. Close Your Eyes

Gently let the world disappear, and go within to regain your equilibrium. Ever since my mom came down with blepharospasm (a neurological tick of the eyelid), I've become aware of how important shutting our eyes is to the health of the nervous system. The only treatment available for this disorder is to have surgery that permanently keeps your eyelids open (you need to moisten them with drops, etc.). Such a condition would be living hell for my mom, because in closing her eyes she regains her balance and proper focus. The only time I recommend not using this technique is on the road (if you're driving).

3. Find Some Solitude

This can be challenging if you are at work, or at home with kids as creative and energetic as mine. But we all need some private time to let the nervous system regenerate. I must have known this back in college, because I opted for a tiny single room (a nun's closet, quite literally), rather than going in on a larger room with a closet big enough to store my sweaters. When three of my good friends begged me to go in with them on a killer quad, I told them, "Nope. Can't do it. Need my alone time, or else none of you would want to be around me. Trust me."My senior year I went to the extent of pasting black construction paper on the window above my door so no one would know if I was there, in order to get the hours of solitude that I needed.Be creative. Find your space. Any way you can. Even it involves black construction paper.

4. Go Outside

This is a true lifesaver for me. I need to be outside for at least an hour every day to get my sanity fix. Granted, I'm extremely lucky to be able to do so as a stay-at-home mom. But I think I would somehow work it into my schedule even if I had to commute into the city every day. Even if I'm not walking or running or biking or swimming, being outside calms me in a way that hardly anything else can. With an hour of nature, I go from being a bossy, opinionated, angry, cynical, uptight person into a bossy, opinionated, cynical, relaxed person. And that makes the difference between having friends and a husband to have dinner with and a world that tells me to go eat a frozen dinner by myself because they don't want to catch whatever grumpy bug I have.

5. Find Some Water

While watching Disney's "Pocahontas" the other day with my daughter Katherine (yes, I do get some of my best insights from cartoons), I observed the sheer joy the main character shows upon paddling down the river, singing about how she is one with the water. It reminded me of how universal the mood effects of water are, and how healing.On the rainy or snowy days that I can't walk the double stroller over to our local creeks, I do something the global-warming guys say not to; take a long shower, imagining that I am in the middle of a beautiful Hawaiian rain forest."Water helps in many ways," writes Elaine Aron. "When overaroused, keep drinking it--a big glass of it once an hour. Walk beside some water, look at it, listen to it. Get into some if you can, for a bath or a swim. Hot tubs and hot springs are popular for good reasons."

6. Breathe Deeply

Breathing is the foundation of sanity, because it is the way we provide our brain and every other vital organ in our body with the oxygen needed for us to survive. Breathing also eliminates toxins from our systems. Years ago, I learned the "Four Square" method of breathing to reduce anxiety:

1. Breathe in slowly to a count of four.
2. Hold the breath for a count of four.
3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips to a count of four.
4. Rest for a count of four (without taking any breaths).
5. Take two normal breaths.
6. Start over again with number one.

7. Listen to Music

Across the ages, music has been used to soothe and relax. During the worst months of my depression, I blared the soundtrack of "The Phantom of the Opera." Pretending to be the phantom with a cape and a mask, I twirled around our living room, swinging my kids in my arms. I belted out every word of "The Music of the Night." "Softly, deftly, music shall caress you, Feel it, hear it, secretly possess you...."The gorgeous song--like all good music--could stroke that tender place within me that words couldn't get to.

"Effective Way To Reduce Stress"

HOW TO REDUCE STRESS

An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and uncluttered your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

"Music For The Soul"

" Music In The World Of Hate"

Music has a huge impact to our lives just some people ignore it,if you try to internalized the songs that have a positive lyrics it can do a lot in your daily life:

I can say that music is the best stress reducer...

Listening to good Music is the best technique in handling anger instead of attending an anger management program & waste your money just listen to some relaxing music that can ease your anger & shift your mood into much more calm feeling.

You can try any kind that soothes your ears.But if you want to relax & have a nice rest try listening to instrumental.

Some don't give so much importance to music ,some just think it is just use by those who like to sing & dance & for entertaiment purposes only.

But there are more benefits than you realized in listening to a nice soothing sound,music is the way to a man's heart & soul...

Music can make a big influence in daily our lives,it can change your outlook in a more positive manner.I myself had proven that Music have a very powerful impact in my outlook in life.I can get strength in just listening to music,i get to relax if i'm in tension,i can able to change my mood quickly from being sad to being happy.Music had given me a major shift in my life,i'm just hoping i could share my knowledge that can help others to live a more happier & stress-free life.I won't be ashamed to admit that i had a life that is so much complicated & most people around dragged me down most of the time i feel alone that no one to turn to,no one to speak ,no one would really understand but still i try to be strong & be positive but still i'm still a normal person who get hurts & need an outlet to released my pain.That is why i have this eagerness to make others feel that they are needed & wanted.I want to share them my experiences so could will realized that they are not the only person who suffer.I want to be strong for the people that are weaker than me in that way helping them changed their outlook in life makes me achieve something that my family fails to share with me,the appreciation that i'm worth something.

Music become my friend & confiandant...some may think it crazy but if you will just let the soul of the music enter your heart you can find a feeling of acceptance.I know for some they would not understand what i'm trying to point out.But not try to understand it from an intellectual level but try to understand in your emotional level let your heart interpret it not your mind.

"A Calm Mind"

A Calm Mind

Don't give your mind permission to get disturbed.

A disturbed mind is easily influenced. This will cost you your peace.

Learn to maintain your peace by freeing yourself from attachments.

Competing or comparing yourself with others will not allow you to focus inwards.

An inner focus allows you to keep your eye on your higher self.

Remember your original nature. It allows you to forge a link with the Divine.

Then it becomes easy to recognize useless thoughts

And replace them with a spiritual perspective.

A calm mind is not just peaceful, it is focused,

Self-directing and Divine.

"It is essential to know that

to be a happy person,

a happy family, a

happy society, it is very

crucial to have a good

heart, that is very

crucial.

World peace must

develop from inner

peace. Peace is not just

the absence of violence but

the manifestation of

human compassion."

"Learn how to Relax"

1.Make healthy food choices. Sugar and caffeine are your enemies, as they both cause severe ups and downs, upsetting your body's ability to regulate energy. Instead of sugary, carbohydrate loaded snacks (like cookies or granola bars), eat fresh fruits and whole grain breads or crackers (sugar-free). Make sure you get plenty of low-calorie protein, like that found in chicken, fish, whole grains, beans, dark leafy vegetables, or low-fat dairy.

2.Find a quiet place when you are feeling overwhelmed. Even the stall of a bathroom will work if you have no other place to go.

3.Close your eyes and picture your own personal paradise. Put yourself there and imagine the setting. What do you see around you? Is there a breeze? What do you hear--birds? Waves? Water? Imagine yourself thoroughly enjoying every moment here in your special place.

4.Breathe. Inhale deeply, counting to five, then exhale slowly, counting to five. Do this ten times.

5.Relax in bed. Take a bath, play soft music, and lay down in bed. Read a book and clear your mind of all the stress and rush of the day.

6.Avoid people who are constantly angry or complain. Stress can be contagious, so avoid transmitters.

7.Stop engaging in behaviors that make you feel guilty. Seek help from a professional if necessary, but don't allow destructive behavior to sabotage your life and your health. Guilt is a potent source of stress, so get rid of the source of guilt by behaving yourself.

8.Exercise every day. You don't need to work out like a body builder or celebrity. At least twenty minutes (or more, if you like) every day of moderate activity, like walking or bike-riding, is the best known, scientifically proven way to significantly reduce stress. Walk on a treadmill every day for twenty minutes, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park a little further away from the entrance to stores. You will be amazed at how much easier you overcome stress when you exercise regularly.

9.Learn to prioritize. Make a list of tasks you must accomplish that day. Put the most important things at the top and list every task in descending order of importance. Learn to be proactive and take care of things before they become a problem, then your time will be more productive and you will feel less stress.

10.Draw a warm bath, light candles around your tub, dim the lights, add bubbles, lavender, or just keep the water plain.

11.You can curl up on your couch with a blanket, and a good book, maybe even a cup of tea or cocoa.

12.Do yoga; it relaxes your body, and helps clear your mind.

13.Go to your local spa for a great massage. You will feel so great afterwards.

14.Lay on your bed or sofa, have some soft music playing in the background (or nature Cd's) and listen to ocean waves, waterfalls, or birds. Some new age music is very relaxing (such as Enya)

15.Go for a walk. If you live near a park with a fountain, or near a beach or lake, the calming sound of water will soothe you. Just a regular walk will also relax you.

16.If you can, go swimming, either at your local pool, a friend or relatives home, or in a lake. Swimming is great for reducing stress.

17.Do the activities or hobbies that relax you (fishing, sewing, singing, painting, taking photographs), whatever it is that keeps your mind off the things that normally stress you out, or things that you just need a break from every now and then.

18.It might sound cheesy, but hang out with your pet (like your dog, cat, bird, etc). Talk to your pet about all the stress and anxiety you've been going through and you'll feel a lot better. Or just cuddle or play with your pet. They'll love it and so will you.

19.Think positively.

Drink tea instead of coffee.

Smile and laugh. Laughing releases endorphins, which fight stress, help you relax, and remind you that life is about more than work. Make it a point to smile more, even if it feels strange at first.

When you first start cutting excess sugar from your diet you will crave it terribly. Be strong! After a couple of days the cravings will subside and you will notice (already) how much better you feel.

Take a multi-vitamin; some vitamins help relieve stress.
Lower your shoulders to help relax

Avoid toxic people! People who try to guilt you into doing things, or tell you you're not good enough, are people you should spend minimal time with (yes, even if they are family). Your life and health are YOUR responsibility.

If stress is causing serious problems such as headaches or other symptoms, seek help from a doctor.

Millions of people become unknowingly addicted to drugs and alcohol during times of severe stress. Be the strong person that you are and do not let this happen. One of the hardest parts of dealing with stress is recognizing and avoiding temptation.