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Brain.fm for Relaxation
Brain.fm’s Guide To Effective Relaxation
In this day and age, the act of relaxation is a forgotten art.
For the high achievers out there, here’s a quick reminder:
Relax (v): to cease achieving for a moment long enough that you can take a deep breath (or two), gaze outward with the inner wisdom that you are on your path, and everything is and forever will be just fine.
If you’ve grown disconnected from that feeling, we’re right there with you. With a constant barrage of information from every direction, relaxation has become quite challenging to do in the 21st century. There have never been more apps, gadgets, and binge-worthy shows ready to excite our neurons at a moment’s notice and leave us feeling depleted all the same.
Here at Brain.fm, we believe in a balanced life (and not just a productive one), so we provide our users with functional music to solve for the other half of the productivity equation. Just as vital as our ability to focus is our willingness to step back, recharge, and fully relax.
We’ve leveraged our deep understanding of auditory neuroscience and experience with music technology to quickly and effectively get you into a relaxing state. With our data-driven science-backed approach, Brain.fm has designed functional music that specifically influences our neural oscillations to induce a relaxed or meditative state.
We’ve even tested our functional music against what is currently considered “the most relaxing song in the world.”
“Weightless” by Marconi Union is the go-to song that’s played in hospitals all around the world to lessen pre-operative anxiety and stress.
A study of 200 participants filled out the POMS (profile-of-mood-states-questionnaire) before and after 4 minutes of listening to one of these three musical conditions:
- “Weightless” by Marconi Union (i.e., “the most relaxing song in the world”)
- Coldplay (and similar relaxing tracks you’d hear on the radio)
- Brain.fm (our new Healthcare Relax music)
End result? Not only did our music unequivocally outperform the world’s most relaxing song, but it decreased tension by up to 200%. Full stop.
How did we create such a unicorn of a product? (Give us a moment while we pat ourselves on the back...) Well, it can be attributed to a few key & carefully crafted features that we’ve repeatedly vetted to transport you to a Zen state and, just as importantly, keep you feeling mellow for as long as you need.
The ingredients in Brain.fm’s core music technology today
Neural-phase locking. Our crown jewel. (She’s patented.) When we say “neural phase locking,” we mean that within 5 minutes, your brainwaves are actively synchronizing with the alpha (read: relaxation-inducing) wavelength patterns of the music being played.
Auditory salience feature. We’ve designed our music to safeguard from any distractions, producing tracks free of gaps, breaks, sharp changes, or any abrupt instrumental additions that might unnecessarily distract you.
3D externalized sound. We have also implemented 3D spatial audio techniques that create the illusion that the music is coming from the space around you, thus detracting your attention from the mental noise happening in your head and placing it directly into the space in front of you.
We’ve covered the tech behind the “most relaxing song in the world” contender... Now, let’s break down the different genres of relaxation (all thoughtfully personalized for your agenda):
Unwind. The perfect complement to the end of your workday. Before you unscrew that bottle of wine, tune into Unwind, and feel your tensions melt away in a matter of minutes.
Recharge. This category is for the days that feel like ultra-marathons. Back-to-back meetings with little time left to do your actual work can deplete your focus for the day. Plug into this mental charging station in between phone calls (or whenever, really) to replenish your energy reserves.
Destress. When tensions are high for too long, our productivity and wellbeing suffer. This category is here to iron out the (imaginary) stress lines on your forehead and gently bring you back to a comforting baseline.
Chill. With this category, there’s no ramping up or ramping down. There are only soothing vibes as far as the eye can see, and this soundtrack is here to maintain that until you say otherwise. (Coconuts and stainless steel straws sold separately.)
Our top 7 favorite tips for effective relaxation
Now that you’ve received the full download on our relaxation-inducing tech, it’s time we seal the deal with these seven tips to reach sublime levels of relaxation and meditation like you’ve never om-agined.
1. Do not try to be productive during your breaks.
The most productive thing you can do while taking a break is to allow time for your brain to do just that. Trying to work on another action item in the next fifteen minutes does not only make for an ineffective rest break, but it will actively siphon off energy and focus from your next work session. If you try to squeeze in another task in place of a break, it becomes counterproductive. Don’t set yourself up for burnout.
2. Set the intention to fully relax or meditate.
The first actual step toward Destination St. Chill 🏔 is to give your brain permission to stop thinking and set a goal to relax fully. Consciously decide that you are going to take a break and just focus on your breathing. What happens next is a sensation of letting go.
3. Close your eyes.
If you’re having a hard time letting go and releasing tension from your body, closing your eyes will help you (and your mind) wind down. We’re primed for stimulation; closing our eyes dampens this sensation-seeking drive, allowing us to sink into a more calming state for at least the next few minutes.
BONUS tip #1: When relaxing or meditating, Imagine yourself in a peaceful place. That may be at the beach, mountains, nature, or wherever your imagination takes you. The key is to pick a place that infuses you with a sense of calm.
4. While it’s okay to have your mind wander, don’t let it derail you.
Even if you start your break with only the best of intentions, chances are your mind will wander. As you sit there and try to focus on your breathing, you might randomly remember you told your mom you’d call her. Or, your mind might remind you of a tense conversation you had with a co-worker the other day. While it’s normal and expected to have your mind restlessly flock to these random thoughts, don’t let them take you on a ride. To the best of your ability, divert your attention to how this thought feels in your body. Use your breath to continue releasing any built-up tension.
5. Have a notepad nearby so you can note any insights or thoughts that come up.
When we are in a relaxed state, we allow space for new mental associations to be made. It runs counter to the intentional way we typically approach brainstorming, but it’s not uncommon that we’re able to disentangle some of the more knotty aspects of our deep work sessions during these moments of respite. Make sure to have a pen and paper nearby to write down any insights so that you can attend to them later. Writing your tasks down also curtails some of the urgency you might feel to act on them immediately.
6. Choose a designated time to meditate or relax, preferably mornings for meditation.
Taking a moment to meditate or relax may be the world’s easiest thing to do away with or postpone. We can always convince ourselves that it can wait or that whatever we’re working on takes priority. For this reason, we recommend you try meditating first thing in the morning. It sets a fantastic tone to the day before you inevitably get swept into the busyness of your agenda and all the back-to-back Zoom meetings that come with the territory. If mornings aren’t practical for you, structure your sessions employing the tip below.
7. “Anchor” your relaxation break to an already existing (daily) habit.
If you’re serious about making meditation or relaxation a habit, consider “anchoring” it to a habit that’s already part of your day-to-day routine. For example, if you always take your dog on a walk in the afternoon, make the intention to grab your headphones as soon as you get back from your walk. The more specific your anchoring statement is, the more likely it will stick. For example, “As soon as I hang up Billie’s leash, I will turn on my headphones and sit on the couch cushion” hinges on a specific action (“hanging up Billie’s leash). Anchoring creates a stronger link of habits rather than cobbling together a more vague statement or intention (“I’ll meditate in the afternoon.”)
8. Apply the “deep breaths and hold” technique.
When you’re actively taking the time to relax and refuel, focusing on your breath is a serious game-changer. Notice your pattern of breathing, especially when you’re feeling tense. Are you taking shallow and short breaths like most people? Do your best to focus on taking deep breaths and holding each one for 5-10 seconds before exhaling. This additional hold time makes it easier for your body to absorb oxygen and produce carbon dioxide.
We hope these tips serve your mind & body well. We’ve made it our job to help you achieve balance in this topsy-turvy world of ours, so feel free to reach out if you have any further questions about our tech or if you have tips on how to achieve enlightenment... (Kidding, but are we?) Drop us a line at support@brain.fm; we’d love to hear from you.
Your partner in full-life balance,