Article 57: The Regulatory Effects of Music Therapy and Physical Exercise on Mental Health

II. Music Therapy

Music's ability to influence emotions through its tones was recognized as early as ancient Greece. They believed that E major represented stability, D major passion, C major gentleness, B major melancholy, A major soaring, G major restlessness, and F major licentiousness. The ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle particularly favored C major, considering it most suitable for cultivating character.

In recent years, music therapy has been widely used in Europe and America, and many hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation institutions have adopted it. Clinical practice has shown that listening to a violin concerto can lower blood pressure by 10-12 mmHg (Pa) in patients with hypertension; playing music can relieve anxiety and promote childbirth in pregnant women. The dental clinic at Cambridge University in the UK has even successfully extracted teeth for hundreds of patients using music instead of anesthesia. Music is also widely used in the treatment of patients with depressive and manic psychosis.

When you experience the following symptoms, you might want to listen to some related music.

When you are tired and sleepy

In this psychological state, people are prone to lacking fighting spirit and energy. They need quiet, peaceful music that subtly conveys joy and passion to help them get a good rest and regain positive happiness and hope for progress.

I highly recommend Vivaldi's *The Four Seasons*, specifically the first piece, "Spring".

Debussy's "The Sea, Three Symphonic Sketches"

Handel's "Water Music"

When you are nervous and anxious

In this psychological state, people are prone to anxiety and tension. The music they need should also be lively and restless, but it should be able to guide them back to a normal and stable psychological state, thus achieving true emotional relief.

Bach's Fantasy and Fugue in G minor

Saint-Saëns' *Dance of the Skeletons*

Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, first movement highly recommended.

When you are depressed

Depressed people are always sullen and melancholy. The world appears gray to them. They are suited to listening to music with a touch of vibrant color against a dark background, which can gradually dispel their melancholy and allow the world before them to shine brightly again.

Mozart's Symphony No. 40

Sibelius's "Waltz of Sorrow"

The "Storm" section of the overture to Rossini's *William Tell*.

Borodin's "The Dance of the Tartars"

When you are pessimistic and world-weary

People in this psychological state lose hope for the future, are pessimistic and desperate, and lack the courage to rise up in adversity. The corresponding music should express the passion and fighting spirit to overcome difficulties and find a way out at the end of life, and embark on the road forward again. Beethoven's "Fate" is the first choice.

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (Fate)

Handel's Messiah

Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, first movement highly recommended.

When you lack self-confidence

People who lack self-confidence lack confidence in themselves, lack the courage to seize opportunities, and are afraid of the future. Music can help them enhance their self-confidence and rediscover themselves.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue - Part 2 (Highly Recommended)

When you are impatient and eager

People with this mindset are impatient, have a strong desire for certain things, and are somewhat obsessive. The music they need should be passionate, exciting, yet comfortable and pleasant.

Handel's "Royal Fireworks"

III. Sports Prescription

A person's mental state and physical condition are interconnected. Appropriate physical exercise can improve a person's mental state and regulate negative emotions.

indecisive

If you find yourself often hesitant and indecisive, participate more in sports such as table tennis, tennis, badminton, hurdles, high jump, and fencing. In these activities, any hesitation or indecisiveness will delay opportunities and lead to failure. Therefore, engaging in these sports can cultivate decisive character traits.

impatient and irritable

If you find yourself easily irritable and impulsive, you should participate in slow, patient activities such as chess, Tai Chi, jogging, long-distance walking, or shooting. These physical activities can help regulate your nervous system, enhance self-control, and stabilize your emotions, thus improving your weaknesses of being easily irritable and impulsive.

Lack of confidence

If you're constantly worried about not being able to complete your work tasks and lack self-confidence, then choose some simple and easy-to-do physical activities such as rope skipping, calisthenics, or running. As long as you persist in exercising, your self-confidence will definitely increase gradually.

Shy and timid

If you always feel shy and timid in social situations and are afraid to interact with others, try participating in sports such as swimming, skating, parallel bars, boxing, wrestling, and balance beam. These sports require overcoming fear, and consistent training can help you cultivate courage and boldness.

IV. Visualization Desensitization Method

This is also an effective way to deal with tension and anxiety. Its characteristic is that by imagining frustrating situations and events that make you feel tense and anxious in real life, you learn to relax in the imagined situations, thereby enabling you to cope with various negative emotional reactions in real frustrating and stressful situations.

Basic methods

1. Learn to relax effectively.

This is the foundation of the visualization desensitization method. You can first practice and master the "relaxation and adjustment method" to achieve complete relaxation within 1 to 2 minutes and eliminate tension.

2. Rank the frustrations and stressful events by level.

List all the events that cause anxiety and tension on paper, including various events that you are currently experiencing and those that you will soon encounter. Try to list about 20 items. It should include events of different natures, not just one or two issues that make you feel tense or afraid. Then rate the events that make you feel tense, and finally arrange them into a rating chart in order of least to most serious.

3. Conduct imagination desensitization training.

First, completely relax yourself, then begin to imagine the first event on the ranking list. Imagine it as realistically as possible, as if you were actually there. If tension or anxiety arises, stop imagining and relax again. After relaxing, imagine the first event again until it no longer causes tension or anxiety. Then proceed to the next event in sequence until all events on the ranking list no longer cause tension or anxiety. Each training session should last 20-30 minutes, once a day or every other day. After several training sessions, you can gradually complete all the items. After practicing all the listed items two or three times, if you have achieved relaxation in all of them, you will be able to deal with the same problems in daily life.