A January escape to Sheen Falls Lodge: The perfect, luxury getaway
A January escape to Sheen Falls Lodge: The perfect, luxury getaway

Dominique McMullan

Living room inspiration to save from Irish homes
Living room inspiration to save from Irish homes

Megan Burns

January’s best new beauty launches
January’s best new beauty launches

Holly O'Neill

Floral designer Sylvia Abraham on creativity, flowers and the importance of passion
Floral designer Sylvia Abraham on creativity, flowers and the importance of passion

Sarah Finnan

The pieces to splurge on this payday
The pieces to splurge on this payday

Sarah Finnan

Three years after Ashling Murphy’s tragic death, Ireland’s fight against femicide and the silencing of women continues
Three years after Ashling Murphy’s tragic death, Ireland’s fight against femicide and the silencing of...

Roe McDermott

Save the Date! Announcing the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2025
Save the Date! Announcing the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2025

IMAGE

Hungry? This super-easy vegan bruschetta is the bomb
Hungry? This super-easy vegan bruschetta is the bomb

Meg Walker

The top reasons for divorce in modern Ireland
The top reasons for divorce in modern Ireland

Michelle Browne

Plant-based food entrepreneur Aisling Cullen shares her life in food
Plant-based food entrepreneur Aisling Cullen shares her life in food

Sarah Gill

Image / Self

LISTEN: This song will apparently reduce your anxiety by 65%


By Jennifer McShane
10th Sep 2020
LISTEN: This song will apparently reduce your anxiety by 65%

This is doing the rounds online again; undoubtedly due to the pandemic and the anxiety that has surfaced around that. It’s true that music can soothe your soul and researchers discovered that one helps more than others


Yes, neuroscientists out of the UK have specified which tunes help to reduce stress levels – and one came out on top.

The study was conducted on participants who attempted to solve difficult puzzles as quickly as possible while connected to sensors. The puzzles induced a certain level of stress, and participants listened to different songs while researchers measured brain activity as well as physiological states that included heart rate, blood pressure and rate of breathing.

According to Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson of Mindlab International, who conducted the research, the top song produced a greater state of relaxation than any other music tested to date.

In fact, listening to one song, Weightless by Marconi Union, resulted in a striking 65 per cent reduction in participants’ overall anxiety, and a 35 per cent reduction in their usual physiological resting rates.

It turns out this isn’t accidental; the song was actually constructed to do so. The group did so in collaboration with sound therapists and carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines help slow a listener’s heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Weightless was so effective, many women became drowsy and I would advise against driving while listening to the song because it could be dangerous,” explained Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson.

So, does it work? Well, have a listen below and see for yourself. It should relax you enough before you hit the hay, at any rate:

Main photograph: Pexels


Read more: Do you suffer with ‘sleep anxiety’? Try these 5 things to beat the cycle

Read more: Parenting anxiety: ‘No one speaks out about the struggles enough’

Read more: Sleep, uncertainty and social media: Dr Doireann O’Leary explains how to reduce Coronavirus anxiety