It's something we all have to go through at some point. No matter how much you think you got your life under control, stress can - and will - hit all of us. If you meet a person who says he or she doesn't experience stress at all, let me tell you this: it's a lie.
It's a way our body reacts to a an unexpected change, some bad news or when you just found out that the deadline has been cut down even further; I could keep on going. It first starts to become an issue if it's persistent, as it has a hefty mental and physical effect on your body. I believe it is an important topic to talk about, as most people (including myself) often keep it to themselves. So in this post, I want to share my thoughts about it and how I like to deal with it when it strikes me.
I discovered the music genre of space ambient
I know, this sounds odd at first. What does this have to do with stress?
I have a wide taste in music, so inevitably I explored a lot of genres of music. I noticed how one genre in particular - space ambient, a so called sub-genre of new-age music, did something to me that I have not experienced from any other music genre. When I listened to space ambient music, more often than not, my mind opened up and initiated some thought patterns that I didn't know I was capable of having. I think the best way I would describe it as, is that it "freezes" me in time, as if the world just comes to a standstill around me. Some of your most distant memories and emotions comes back to you all of the sudden and with such clarity. It literally feels like it is outside of this world.
"Stellardrone, in my opinion, captures the ambient feel of the universe and moves me to a different emotional state every time with existentialism" - some guy from YouTube
Sometimes when life throws nothing but bad luck at you all at once, becoming mentally and emotionally unstable is not unusual. This is often how I end up with stress, during some "less fortune" times. The worst part is that it might take me a few days to even notice the signs, but it often starts with sleep deprivation, and depending on the severity of the stress, it might gradually become worse. This is where listening to space ambient works for me. It helps me gather my thoughts and to process what ever is causing me to feel stressed.
If you have no idea what kind of music this is, try and have a listen right here. This one is one of my favorites from The Intangible.
I also work with programming, which sometimes can stress me out a little, with the ever closing-in deadlines or being stuck with the same issue for two or three days. Listening to space ambient helps me control my thoughts and get a hold on the things that plagues me, so I end up feeling somewhat refreshed and ready to tackle the issue the next time.
But - time and place is everything
Unfortunately, you can't just seem to listen to space ambient anytime and anywhere you want. I mean, you defiantly can, but it will not have the desired effect then. For me, I have to do it in late evening and I have to be in bed. Another prerequisite is that the songs you picked are some you actually like and can feel calm about.
I used several months on building up my playlist (which I will share with you here), with my favorite masterpieces from that genre. It's also really important to have some decent headphones, they are very essential for being able to lay back, close your eyes and just enjoy the music as it plays.
I made my playlist on YouTube and put the songs in such an order that works best for me.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbuiYCRxHAbCuXx7EEwB9swXVpDVxbOm4
The ambience which takes you to another plain of existence (almost)
So, take your time and do your research and find out which songs work the best for you! I find that this kind of music has the power to unleash some of your deepest thoughts - if you let it flow into you.
I hope I somehow could shed some light on what works for me when dealing with stress, and I really hope this will do for you too, if you have the mindset for this kind of music genre. I find that this is the best mental cure for stress for me.
Perhaps some other genre of music will do the trick for you?