Commuting can both be fun and a nightmare. One minute you’re lazily driving on the freeway and the next you’re shouting at some guy who cut you off just as you were about to turn. It can especially be even more stressful when you’re not the one in control of the vehicle. Say in an airplane sitting, and you find yourself reaching for a paper bag because of sudden turbulence.  Such instances can be very nerve-wracking, and you may consistently find yourself on your last straw.

Per researchers, one of the best ways to combat this is music therapy. That is, listening to music to help manage your anxiety and calm your nerves.

“Music has a very long history of being able to move someone’s psychological state from one state to another,” David John Baker, a PhD in Music Theory with a minor in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, said.  “For example, imagine hearing a song that reminds you of your late grandfather and being consumed with a sense of sadness or hearing your school’s Alma Mater and being washed over with an unexpected feeling of nostalgia.”

That being said, not every song can remind you of a certain time in your life. Which begs the question: What is the best type of music to relax to while on a trip? Well, it depends. Some might prepare slow, moving music while others may prefer fast and loud tunes.  Others might deem classical music to be calming, while some may find solace in the loud, distorted guitars of heavy metal. This is because people deal with stress in different ways that work together with their specific tastes.

This is the same kind of thinking that Baker had in mind when he decided to create Brainwaves, which are a series of musical tracks made to help alleviate stress.

“Our logic was that if music can be used to move people from one psychological state to another, why not try to craft music specifically to help someone focus, sleep, or overcome a temporary bout of feeling anxious?” Baker pointed.

With the help of hotel brand CitizenM and audio creative agency Soundscape , the musical tracks are specifically made to target three primary fields: focus, sleep and anxiety. This in turn, can help affect the brain in a positive way.

The company brain.fm uses music to stimulate brain waves and induce states such as concentration or relaxation. Travis Yewell/Unsplash

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