If stress is getting you down, tune in to a variety of soothing sounds and learn to relax mentally and physically.
For example, let's say that you and your spouse have a tiff. You head out the door for a morning jog. Take along your earphones and a favorite CD. Jog away from traffic and busy walkways in case the music drowns out a car or bicycle horn.
Music that showed the most positive effects on listeners is classical music, with or without voice accompaniment. One study revealed that high school students who listened to ten minutes of classical music before taking a test performed better and received higher grades than those who didn't listen to music. A similar test was conducted using heavy metal music, with opposite results. So pop in some Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven and feel your pulse relax.
If you are more of a nature fan, head for the park or a hiking trail and take in some of nature's finest. Great natural listening may include birdsong, with larks, robins, doves, and whip-poor-wills among the most popular. Other enjoyable backdrops found in nature or available through the library or music store on CD or cassette might be a rushing stream, a tinkling waterfall, scampering chipmunks or squirrels, light rainfall, a breezy day, or a heavy thunderstorm.
Meditation has a primeval attraction for many listeners. Monastery monks chanting a hymn, Native Americans celebrating a buffalo hunt, and African drums communicating between villages offer a primal call that is hard to resist. The rhythmic beat parallels a human heart and calls to mind our earliest days in the womb.
Unusual folk instruments can be relaxing for many to hear. Dulcimers, bag pipes, an Irish whistle, recorders, balalaikas, and a host of other music makers from around the world can stir curiosity while settling frayed nerves. Look for instrumentals of this type at a favorite music store.
Turning on a sporting event is a big draw for those who enjoy getting involved in a game as an escape from everyday demands. Public speeches, debates, comedy routines, audio books, news programs, commentaries, and documentaries are other types of escape listening where harried individuals can forget about their troubles for a while.
Keep a CD or cassette of your favorite song or artist available in the car. When you're on the road you can turn off a boring radio selection and pop in the tunes you always enjoy.
For those who appreciate an audio challenge, you can always borrow sound tapes from the library to hear a crowd roar, a battle rage, or a trumpet sound in victory or defeat. Special sound effects are available for just about any human and many natural sounds you can imagine. You also may want to learn a new skill, such as a foreign language or a how-to process such as sharpening a tool. Putting in a CD is a convenient way to enjoy your hobby, at least marginally, if your hands are busy doing something else.
Finally, don't overlook the beauty of silence. Turn off the radio, unplug the telephone, and don't answer the door. Simply listen to nothing and enjoy every second of empty bliss as a total escape from daily cares.
There is a sound for every ear, so take a little time to find the ones that meet your need for relaxation and recreation.
