Are you losing your mind to absentmindedness? Absentmindedness is mind wandering. It is common. When a person is involved in tasks that require low energy output, mind wandering re-orients the person from external tasks to internal tasks, like thinking about the past and planning for the future.

Health factors correlate to stressors. When chronically stressed, the body reserves its resources to combat the stressor. The problem is that the body does not distinguish between a physical threat to your life and exhaustion, emotional stress, and repercussions from traumatic events. 

The audible past is a term historians use to describe the soundscapes associated with past events. Your audible past is the soundtrack of your life. We tend to think about the past visually, but imagery, sound, and other sensory memories can intersect.

Pain can be a stress reaction caused by muscle tension that perpetuates when the muscle should be resting. Often, a person is unaware of muscle tension. Stress-induced muscle tension in the head, neck, or shoulders can result in tension headaches. A lack of awareness can make it challenging to tackle tension-induced pain. To further exacerbate the problem, even a low level of chronic pain can increase stress, resulting in increased muscle tension. 

As far back as 2000 BCE, the Assyrians recorded using music to avoid the influence of evil spirits (Conrad, 2010). Today, what was once perceived as evil spirits might be called a mental illness by the medically minded. Whether a person is influenced by evil spirits or has a mental illness, the idea that music can enhance or soothe the passions of the mind has historical precedence.

What is the connection between stress and music? In his book, Strong Experiences with Music: Music is much more than just music, Gabrielson (2011) suggested that music impacts all psychological experiences. During psychological stress, it is possible to develop an appreciation for music that was not previously compelling (Gabrielson, 2011). An acute response to music can set into motion psychophysiological changes. And it can be a powerful tool to remedy distress.