Stress reducing music improves health
Caring for an older adult is stressful. Finding ways to cope and manage stress improves your overall health and keeps you from burning out.
Music is known for its ability to influence mood and emotions. That’s why it’s such an effective way to manage stress. It’s can even be more effective than medication for boosting mood and reducing anxiety.
We found an innovative service called Unwind that helps you relax with music that’s customized to your heart rate. It’s free and there’s no need to sign up or download anything.
We explain how music benefits your health, how the Unwind music service works, and how to use it.
Benefits of music for caregivers
Music can have a significant relaxing effect on the body and mind. It can slow a racing heart rate, lower blood pressure, and decrease stress levels.
One study showed that in stressful pre-surgery situations, patients who listened to music had less anxiety and lower cortisol (stress) levels than those who took anti-anxiety medication.
Other studies say that music can also:
- Improve sleep
- Reduce blood pressure
- Improve mood and decrease depression
- Boost immune system
- Reduce the severity and frequency of migraines and chronic headaches
- Reduce pain
What is Unwind?
Unwind is a relaxing music service created by The Sync Project, a company that’s partnering with leading scientists and musicians to create music that can actually treat health conditions.
Unwind is their first project. It’s an easy-to-use free service that customizes relaxing music especially for you.
On a smartphone, it detects your heart rate and uses it to create music that will gradually help you unwind from your current state. If it can’t detect your heart rate, like on a computer or tablet, it will play relaxing music that calms your nerves.
Unwind is a great tool to keep in your caregiver stress relief toolkit. It takes only minutes for the soothing music to start easing tension.
We explain how to use Unwind on a smartphone and a computer and include screenshots to show what the service looks like.
How to use Unwind on a smartphone
1. Visit unwind.ai from your mobile web browser, then click Begin
2. Choose how long you’d like to play the music – 20 minutes or 5 minutes.
3. Next, follow the instructions so Unwind can read your heart rate and customize the music for you. After the music session, Unwind reads your heart rate again so you can compare the before and after.
Note: The heart rate feature only works on a smartphone. (We don’t know how they do it, but it actually works! We checked their reading against a heart rate monitor.)
4. You’ll see your heart rate reading and a question about how you feel. Tap the answer that fits best.
5. Tap the play button to start your customized relaxing music session!
1. Start
2. Choose length of time
3. Read heart rate
4. See your heart rate & answer question
5. Play customized music
How to use Unwind on a computer or tablet
1. Visit unwind.ai from your web browser, then click Continue
2. Choose how long you’d like to play the music – 20 minutes or 5 minutes.
3. Click the answer that best fits how you feel right now.
4. Tap the play button to start your customized relaxing music session!
1. Start
2. Choose length of time
3. Answer question
4. Play customized music
Next Step Start your customized stress reducing music session at Unwind
Recommended for you:
- 15 Quick Tips for Managing Caregiver Stress
- Reduce Caregiver Stress Using Your Smartphone Alarm
- 5 Ways to Use a Journal to Reduce Caregiver Stress
By DailyCaring Editorial Team
Image: Reliant at Home Care
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