How to use music therapy for day-to-day stress relief. Music is something that many people enjoy listening, creating or even playing. It is all around us. Listening to music is a quick path to getting yourself into a better mood. A research has shown that music has profound effects on your body in many health promoting ways and psyche. On the other side, there is a growing field of healthcare known as music therapy which is used to heal by music because, music has incredible mental health benefits. It is a powerful tool to evoke motivation and focus, enhance memory and even more to manage stress. Most of the people experience stress from time to time. Stress is the body reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. And, the body reacts to these changes with physical, mental and emotional responses. Feeling of being stressed can be triggered by an event that makes you feel frustrated and nervous. Stress that continues without relief can lead to a distress. However, there are some ways to deal with the stress and, these methods are healthier and more beneficial than others.

Music therapy is one of methods among them. Hence, listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on your mind and body.

Here are some tips to use music therapy on your day-to-day life to relieve your stress. -Listen to music on your morning routine. Listening to music once you get ready and starting your day will create positive energy and a soothing sense of peace. By selecting a right music, you can spend a lower-stress day. Before bedtime Sleeping is an important resource that keeps you healthy, mentally sharp and able to fight with stress more effectively. Listening to music before going to the bed
can help to increase feeling of calmness and relaxation and slow our system down, which helps encourage good sleep. While cooking Many people feel very tired to cook once they get home. If you put some music that you love, cooking becomes a fun activity rather than doing a chore. While eating Soothing music can relax your body and reduce cortisol levels and your body can easily digest foods and enjoy your food more. And also, you can listen to the music while cleaning, doing exercises, driving vehicle and so on. It will relax your mind reduce the stress. Play music instruments
You can not only listen to the music but also make music yourself or with other people. When you play an instrument or a song, your body releases endorphins, which are the chemicals that make you feel happy and relieve the stress. Music therapy can be highly personalized, and it is suitable for people of any age. Thus, this therapy will help to improve your mood, enhance your quality of life, strength your coping skills, encourage emotional expressions and relieve stress and symptoms of anxiety. Therefore, enjoy your life with music.

S.A. Ishara Sewwandi
BAMS (UG), University of Kelaniya