The modern lifestyle brings with it a certain level of daily stress. And while different people deal with stress in different ways (from exercise, walking in nature to singing and dancing), scientists have discovered a simple and easy way to quickly reduce stress levels.
The study, published in the medical journal Cureus, followed 23 men and women aged 18 to 60 throughout the day and measured their stress levels. The subjects wore a device that measured their heart rate, but also how much they exercised, slept and hummed.
The scientists gave them exact instructions. Whenever they were stressed, they had to breathe deeply for up to four seconds and then hum a tune for six to eight seconds.
The results surprised the scientists themselves. Subjects who hummed in stressful situations recorded the lowest level of stress. But how can humming be so soothing?
According to one theory, humming or vocalizing a melody with your mouth closed activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming effect in stressful situations.
Therefore, scientists advise, to reduce stress, to hum twice a day for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
So next time you find yourself in a traffic jam, feel free to start humming. You will reduce your stress level and shorten your waiting time.
