Adele's instrumental music can reduce stress levels during rush hours: Study

Music has always been a stress-buster. A new study, however, reveals that listening to Adele while driving can actually reduce stress and be instrumental in bringing the driver some peace. The effects are surprising especially when one is driving amidst heavy traffic jams. The study was published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine revealed that listening to instrumental music has positive effects on the heart. 

The study reveals music is a stress buster

The study was cross-sectional with a collection of random data under a controlled environment. According to the research, there were five women who drove for two days. On the first day, the women were asked to drive for 20 minutes during rush hour and listen to instrumental music of Hello and Someone Like You, along with other instrumental songs like Christian musician Chris Tomlin's instrumental of Amazing Grace, Electra by Airstream and Exile by Enya. Next day they were asked to drive in silence. 

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Music reduces stress

In the second phase of the testing, researchers measured cardiac stress levels which were monitored via a monitor that was attached to the participants' chest and calculated the heart rate variability. The variations in the heart rate are defined as the fluctuations between consecutive heartbeats. When the parasympathetic nervous system is active, then the heart beats slower and the person feels more relaxed.

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Music increases the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system

The study concluded that the women participants who drove while listening to music enabled higher levels of parasympathetic nervous system activity while the activity of the sympathetic nervous system was comparatively low. The researchers said, listening to relaxing music can act as a preventive measure to reduce and regulate stress, at the same time help to keep one’s heart, healthy. It moderates the stress overload. Any stressful situation can trigger the sympathetic nervous system and release of multiple hormones in the body. This can have serious cardiovascular effects leading to heart problems in later part of life.

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