If You Suffer From Anxiety, One Song Could Reduce It by as Much as 65 Percent

November 21, 2016 5:00 am
Woman Relaxing with Headphones on
(Photo by Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
(Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

 

If you suffer from anxiety, you know the crippling effects it has on your life; short of breath, nerves in tatters, you find yourself grasping for anything to quell its effects. Now, one group of researchers from the U.K. may have just found the antidote.

Neuroscientists at Mindlab International conducted a study where people, hooked up to sensors, were tested on how fast they could solve a particularly complex puzzle. The feverish puzzling, of course, led to anxious reactions by its participants, but each was allowed to listen to different types of calming music, while the neuroscientists tested their vitals and brain waves.

The conclusion? One specific song, aptly titled “Weightless,” reduced participants’ anxiety by an incredible 65 percent. The song itself was actually written to do just that—reduce anxiety—composed with the help of sound therapists. We’re going to guess you’ve never heard of its composer, Marconi Union, but if the Grammy Awards ever decide to add a category for Adult Contemporary Anxiety Reducers, this is sure to take home the golden gramophone. (They’re a trio from Manchester, England, one-time home to loud rockers like Oasis and The Stone Roses.)

The study actually coughed up an entire Top 10 list of anxiety reducing tunes, and there are actually a few well-known names on there. (Since the study was conducted in the U.K., the artists are all either English or Irish.) For example, Adele’s “Someone Like You” came in eighth, while Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing” came in fifth. (And yes, if you were wondering, Irish queen of calm Enya did make the list, coming in a respectable fourth with “Watermark.”)

For more on the study, visit Mindlab International’s site here. To dig deeper into the back catalog of Marconi Union, click here. Or just watch the trippy, drone-friendly video for the song “Weightless” below. And chillax like you’ve never chillaxed before.

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