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Anxiety affects a large number of people in varying ways. And now, a new study has found links between this common activity and significant anxiety relief.

Many things claim to cure anxiety, but those who struggle with the condition know that it’s not so simple to get rid of. A new study shows that something as common and pleasant as listening to music can be very effective when it comes to treating anxiety, helping people relax by a considerable amount.

The study, published in the journal Plos One and conducted by a group of Canadian researchers from Ryerson University, utilized music and Auditory Beat Stimulation (ABS), a sound that combines tones and plays them in one ear or another, stimulating the brain. ABS is an interesting method, one that seeks to provide anxiety relief (a condition that’s on the rise and that affects people of all ages) in the least invasive form possible, disregarding medications.

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The research examined 163 patients who were already taking anti-anxiety medication. They were instructed to listen to relaxing music, ABS sessions, both, or “pink noise,” a sound similar to white noise. Participants listened to these sessions for 24 minutes, with an artificial intelligence device selecting the music depending on the participant’s mood.

Researchers found that participants with moderate levels of anxiety experienced the most benefits after listening to music and ABS. Participants who had high levels of anxiety reaped more benefits from listening to music only when compared to the group who listened to ABS.

“The findings from this research are exciting as they indicate that personalized music shows great promise in effectively reducing anxiety in specific segments of the population that suffer from anxiety,” wrote the researchers.

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Music has long been associated with anxiety-relieving properties, but there haven’t been many studies that look at it through a scientific lens. Nowadays, when there are so many options for remote and digital treatment, the exploration of auditory stress-relieving tools sounds like something worth investigating, that could provide relief to large amounts of people.

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