This One Song May Reduce Anxiety by 65%, According to Scientists

Music serves as an analgesic for the mind. For centuries, sound therapy has been used to alleviate stress and anxiety, enhancing both physical and emotional wellbeing. While anxiety is a natural response to stressful situations—triggering heightened alertness, fear, and often a rapid heartbeat—when it becomes overwhelming and begins to disrupt daily life, it may require professional intervention.

In severe cases, medications are often prescribed at the start of treatment. For mild to moderate anxiety, lifestyle changes are usually the first recommended approach. These adjustments can also complement medication in more serious cases.

The body’s stress response is mainly controlled by three hormones: adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. Both adrenaline and norepinephrine act to increase heart rate and raise blood pressure, preparing the body to respond to perceived threats.

Cortisol boosts your brain’s use of glucose and modifies immune system functions. While chronic stress poses significant health risks, there are simple and effective ways to manage it. One powerful method is through sound—specifically, music.

“How ‘Weightless’ Music Helps Calm Your Mind and Body”

Music truly is a kind of magic. With a good pair of headphones and the perfect sound, you can find the exact amount of calm and tranquility your mind and body crave. Whenever you feel uneasy, anxious, tense, shaky, nauseous, dizzy, lightheaded, or utterly drained, music can be your greatest remedy. It’s one of the most healing comforts you can offer your weary spirit at any time.

“Weightless” is an ambient track created in 2014 by the British group Marconi Union. Collaborating with sound therapists, they crafted a medically-approved piece featuring carefully composed harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines aimed at slowing the listener’s heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and reducing stress hormone cortisol levels, as reported by Inc.com.

I listened to the shortened version of the track, and the sound felt truly otherworldly. While the full song lasts 10 hours, the abridged version runs for about 8 minutes. It’s more than just beautiful melodies and soothing rhythms; the official video features a continuous display of glowing lights dancing over a calm stream, creating a deeply peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

The Scientific Soundtrack to Calmness

In a 2011 study led by UK neuroscientists, the song Weightless was found to reduce anxiety levels by as much as 65%. The research was conducted by Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson of Mindlab International, though the full study is not publicly available online.

During the experiment, participants were tasked with solving a challenging puzzle designed to elevate their stress and anxiety. Throughout the task, sensors monitored their heart rate, blood pressure, and hormone levels while different songs played in the background.

Weightless emerged as the most effective, lowering anxiety by 65% and decreasing physiological resting rates by 35%. Dr. Hodgson noted in an interview that the song’s calming effects are so powerful that some women reported feeling drowsy, to the point where they were advised against listening to it while driving.

DJ Magazine described Weightless as “an ethereal sense of eternally free-flowing dimensions… worth the wait.”

Below is a list of the top 9 songs recommended by Dr. Hodgson’s study for managing stress and anxiety. It is important to avoid playing these tracks while driving or just before getting behind the wheel.

“Someone Like You, by Adele

“Please Don’t Go, by Barcelona

Canzonetta Sull’aria, by Mozart

Strawberry Swing, by Coldplay

Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix), by DJ Shah

Strawberry Swing, by Coldplay

Weightless, by Marconi Union

We Can Fly, by Rue du Soleil (Café Del Mar)

Pure Shores, by All Saints

This research was carried out by Mindlab International’s team of scientists on behalf of Radox Spa, a brand known for its bubble bath and shower products. Although the study hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal, it reinforces something many of us already believe:

Music has the power to calm our minds, ease emotional stress, and maybe even support physical healing. Of course, these aren’t the only tracks that can help us unwind.

What songs help you relax? Are they anything like the ones listed here?