Dont Stress, Have a Good Day

 

Leadership is stressful. At any time, you can be blindsided by a crisis that you’ve literally spent no time preparing for. Often, your superiors haven’t experienced it either so the entire team is blindly feeling around for the best way to respond while critics observe and report about your incompetence. When the worst isn’t happening, much time is spent covering your bases in an effort to prevent the preventable stressors from wreaking havoc on your organization. Combine that with the usual internal and external forces constantly pushing and pulling you in the direction of any number of agendas and you get an intensely stressful condition that could knock you off of your game at any moment. This article is intended to offer a therapy option that will not eliminate the stress but will help you relax, focus, and manage this environment successfully. 

 

Stress is a silent killer. If exposed to stress for extended periods of time, humans will experience physical, emotional, and psychological deterioration resulting in a breakdown. Not some of us, we are all wired the same, we all succumb to stress if we don’t manage it. The fight or flight response is meant to give you a boost for the short term by shutting off non essential bodily functions so you can deal with a threat. When overexposed to this state we open ourselves to heart disease, depression, insomnia, mood swings, and much worse. As your health deteriorates, you respond to the stress in ways that make your environment more stressful causing an increase in intensity and acceleration of these negative consequences. The key is to keep yourself relaxed, and focused on the most important things and yourself. 

Many experts suggest deep breathing, reading motivational quotes, mindfulness exercises, yoga, and other activities.  According to our friends at universalclass.com, “Some scientists believe that there is a direct link between what a person thinks, believes, and perceives, and their immune system. As a result, we can proactively affect our health with the appropriate use of music.” Music has the power to relax, energize, and inspire us when applied appropriately.  One of the strategies I use to manage stress is what I call “Ice Cube Therapy”. Ice Cube Therapy is a short music break intended to recharge, refocus, or relax. Keep in mind, what some people see as music, others see as noise, so one person can’t decide for another which music is relaxing and which causes stress. You like what you like, so listen to what you like. These days, Ice Cube Therapy can be Hootie and the Blowfish, Patti Labelle, Al Green, or… Ice Cube. For someone else, effective Ice Cube Therapy could be Metallica, George Strait, or Pavarotti. What music you listen to isn’t important, what is important is that you engage with it. Engagement could mean rocking to the beat, belting out a duet with the artist, or just sitting quietly. 

Studies suggest that music played in higher resisters (pitch), and at greater than 80-90 beats per minute tends to increase tension and anxiety while music played in lower registers, and at about 40 - 60 beats per minute tends to decrease tension. My advice is to use your best taste and judgement, and decide for yourself. You may enjoy a screaming guitarist, and a crooning baritone may frustrate you. Your taste and how you respond is just as unique as you are as a person. There is literally no wrong answer. I have thought partners who use gospel, punk, symphonic and country and all report satisfaction. In order for it to work, you just have to engage with it, not just have it playing in the background, at a minimum you have to stop working and tune in completely. 

I discovered this tool driving home from work after a stressful day. It seemed like something bad happened every hour, building to a meeting at the end of the day when one of my lieutenants went sideways in front of the team. I left everything in my office, got into my car, and nearly “tapped” another car on my way out of the parking lot adding to the anxiety. I replayed what happened in my mind, over and over, and as I did my stress level increased until the bad stuff was all I could think about. That was not a healthy mindset to have on the freeway at 5:30. Then it happened. Ice Cube’s Today was a Good Day came on the radio and before I knew it all the negative rumination and stress was gone and I was chanting, “No barking from the dog, no smog, and momma cooked breakfast with no hog” to the beat. I was back. Over the years, the music varied but the result hasn’t. Between that awful day and today, I couldn’t tell you how many times I have recommended this to someone going through a stressful time. I haven’t had one person report negative results. 

I can’t emphasize enough the negative consequences of stress on the body and your career. Anything you can do to help you cope with the stress helps. If you need a boost, or a moment, and you don’t have time to exercise, I recommend a little Ice Cube Therapy. It doesn’t take much time, doesn’t require that you leave work, sweat, or impose on other colleagues. Usually. Give it a try, you’ll find that your stress will be reduced, and you will be more pleasant to be around even in the most hostile situations so give it a try and SOAR!

A few suggestions for readers, in alpha order. This is not a comprehensive list, just a little sampling.

Beautiful, Snoop Dogg

Bennie and the Jets, Elton John

Big Poppa, Notorious BIG 

Choices, E40

Chunky, Bruno Mars

Crazy, Snoop Dogg

Dr. Frankenstein, Ice Cube

If You Asked Me To, Patti Labelle 

It Was a Good Day, Ice Cube

Long Train Runnin, Doobie Brothers

Love on Top, Beyonce

Mr. Magic, Grover Washington

Nobody Like You, VaShawn Mitchell

Not Even The Trees, Hootie and the Blowfish

Outside, Mariah Carey

Simply Beautiful, Al Green

Speak On It, DJ Quik

Stayed Down, E40

The Best In Me, Marvin Sapp

The Way We Swing, Digital Underground

 

William A. Brown

 May 10, 2020

https://www.universalclass.com/articles/self-help/how-sound-therapy-plays-a-role-in-relaxation.htm

https://www.verywellmind.com/music-as-a-health-and-relaxation-aid-3145191