Music and My Brain

Nurse Vanessa

A few months ago, I was working with a 3-year-old little patient. She has a diagnosis of ALL and is actively receiving treatment. I had to change her NGT and before I even touched her, she began to anxiously whimper. Her mom was trying to soothe her. I was saying my usual “this is hard” and “it’s ok to be scared” speech. She took a deep breath and with a gentle whisper she sniffled out the words b-ayy-bb sshhhark. It was a beautiful moment of bravery. Of course, with conviction we all began to sing baby shark.

As I left, I thought of the ancient proverb that says, “As water reflects one’s face, so the heart of one man reflects another’s.” This little girl reminded me of what was once (and still is) inside of me. She took me back to a moment in my childhood when I was struggling with anxiety. I remember holding my fishbowl and singing to my fish Fredrick. Memories began to flood my mind. I remembered winning my very first boombox in the first grade. With a smile, I saw my 5-year-old self, jamming to Paula Abdul’s “Straight up.” I thought to myself, “when did I stop?"

I came across a randomized controlled trial. The study took 54 nurses and randomly assigned some to sit quietly for 30 minutes, while others selected music and listened via headphones for the same amount of time. They measured heart rate, MAP, cortisol levels and blood pressure throughout the procedure. They found that those who listened to music had a lower perceived level of stress, cortisol, heart rate and MAP. These findings provided evidence for nurses to use soothing music as a research-based nursing intervention for stress reduction.

Me being me, I decided to do my own experiment. During my morning walks I usually listen to various podcasts. I decided to replace the podcasts with music. I also enrolled in a music class. As a kid, I always dreamed of playing the harp. So, I signed up for harp lessons. I was intrigued to see how this would work out for me.

During my morning walks I found myself doing something quite curious. One morning as I was listening to my soothing music, I stepped into the sun with my eyes closed and I paused. I don’t know how long I stood there in pure contentment, but it felt so good. While I was listening to the soothing music, I found myself smiling off into oblivion. It wasn’t intentional, it was as though it was a default behavior.

In addition, Saturday morning I joined the local community center for harp lessons. I could feel my heart connect with the harmony found in the strings of this instrument. The pulse of my heart radiated through my fingers into the strings. Best of all my brain was soothed by a fire like feeling of beautiful harmony. I could feel this stringed instrument regulate my mind while simultaneously slowing my heart.

My brain had fallen in love. In fact, one day after work, my brain desperately said, “Oh, don’t forget your headphones- you’ll need them for

our morning walk!” I felt a sudden rush of elation as I pictured my face in the sun surrounded by sweet sounding music. I was fascinated by the way my brain reacted with excitement as it pictured my smiling face basking in the morning sun. This visual alone gave my brain a rush of dopamine. My brain was determined to get its morning music fix. I also think there is more to this dynamic. I think our brains crave music because music closes the gap between our heart and mind. It gives us harmony from deep within. During stressful times we are looking to make sense of the world and we often cannot. Music connects us back to ourselves when we feel disconnected. So the next time you feel stressed and disconnected, I hope you turn to music for some support.

Tips for using music in stress management:

1. Instead of scrolling social media while eating, listen to soothing music.

2. Go out on a limb and take a music class. Even if it is only for a weekend or one-day workshop.

3. Take a walk with music.