Do you regularly experience feelings of anxiety or stress? Then you know (unfortunately) how intense this can be. Stress and anxiety not only impact our mental well-being, but they can also manifest themselves in physical pain and sleep problems.
It is normal to feel nervous sometimes (for example, before a job interview or an important presentation at work). But stress and anxiety become a problem when they affect your well-being in a negative way. Bilateral music can help you at such times.
If you regularly experience feelings of anxiety, you know how intense it can be. In the Netherlands, more than 1 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder. And although this shows that you are not the only one who suffers from feelings of anxiety, you often do not realize this at an anxious or stressful moment.
It's normal to feel nervous sometimes (for example, before an important presentation at work or when you meet with a new person for the first time). But anxiety becomes a problem when it affects your well-being in a negative way. Bilateral music can help you at such a time.
Reduce anxiety with bilateral music
Bilateral music is a powerful tool to improve your mood and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. This form of music is fairly new and is used in forms of therapy aimed at processing trauma, such as EMDR and brainspotting.
What is bilateral music?
When you listen to bilateral music, you hear the music louder in your left ear and softer in your right ear. And then the other way around. You can actually think of it as music that "oscillates" between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
The idea behind bilateral music is that the alternating sound improves communication between the two hemispheres of the brain and eliminates the brain's fight-and-flight response. This reduces feelings of depression, stress and anxiety.
What are the benefits of bilateral music?
Listening to bilateral music has the following benefits:
- A calming feeling (less stress and anxiety)
- The ability to focus your attention on something else and counteract "stuck" thoughts
- Better ability to put things into perspective
What is the difference between binaural beats and bilateral music?
While bilateral music and binaural beats have similarities, there are also important differences between the two. Binaural beats are a form of auditory brain stimulation in which you hear a different tone in each ear. Your brain turns this into a third tone (the difference tone). The difference tone puts your brain in a state where you can focus better, relax, experience less anxiety, be more creative and sleep better.
Bilateral music aims to improve communication between the two hemispheres of the brain through alternating sounds from left to right.
How do you use bilateral music?
In order for bilateral music to work, it is important that you use headphones or earbuds. In addition, you need an audio file of bilateral music. While listening to the music, make sure you turn the volume down low or even to an almost imperceptible level. By doing so, you will achieve the calming effect the music is made for.
You can listen to bilateral music at times when you are tense or upset. You can then also combine this with a few deep breaths or taking a walk. But you can also make bilateral music a part of your daily routine. For example, play the music as part of your morning routine or before bed to calm your brain.
Where can I find bilateral music?
In the Meditation Moments app you will find several bilateral music tracks that are completely safe to listen to. Try different tracks and find out which ones make you feel relaxed. You can find the tracks in the Bilateral collection.
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