Environmental Triggers and Your Nervous System: How Sound Therapy Brings Calm to the Chaos

In our modern world, we are constantly bombarded with light, sound, and digital technology. When set beside staggering reports of 34 percent of people, every month, reporting feeling stressed and anxious, one has to wonder if there is any connection. When considered alongside research showing definitively that external stimuli can affect the human nervous system and drive these feelings of anxiety and dread, the connection becomes quite clear. Thankfully, through the same mechanisms that our environment can negatively impact our health, it can also be adjusted to heal. Vibroacoustic therapy is a non-invasive, effective solution to help manage the adverse effects of environmental triggers on the nervous system, offering a way to reduce stress and improve well-being. Anyone can work toward recognizing and addressing these triggers by focusing on the body-mind connection.

What Are the Effects of the External Environment on the Nervous System?

Excessive noise fills our world, from car horns on your way into the office to the conversation in the next cubicle you can’t avoid overhearing. Loud noises affect the body in several ways, including increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Noise can also disrupt sleep patterns. Overexposure to the blue light produced by mobile devices and computer screens can trigger a vicious cycle of overstimulation and an inability to relax. 

Most electronics also produce electromagnetic fields (EMFs). These fields can disrupt brain waves and wreak havoc on the nervous system, triggering the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that cause anxiety. Artificial light throws off our natural circadian rhythms, especially at night, impacting sleep, mood, and other critical self-regulatory factors. Sensory overload, driven by what we experience daily, affects our nervous systems, causing ongoing, low-level stress. While our bodies possess natural ways to mitigate this stress, we often need some help to use them.

Is Vibroacoustic Sound Therapy the Solution?

Vibroacoustic therapy is not just a concept, it's a proven solution. It uses sound waves and vibrations to activate specific neural pathways in the brain that control the processes behind relaxation and healing. Once triggered, these cascading processes serve to reduce stress and anxiety. This therapeutic methodology leverages precise combinations of various frequencies and vibrations to offer patients several health benefits in a short amount of time, including:

• Reduced anxiety.
• Reduced stress.
• Elevated mood.
• Increased focus.
• Pain relief.

During vibroacoustic therapy sessions, practitioners provide patients with personal sound therapy devices, such as beds or chairs, and technology that generates sound waves and vibrations specifically engineered to achieve the desired results. These devices can also be used alongside guided relaxation techniques. At RBI, vibroacoustic therapy involves relaxing in an acoustic flow chair while one of our professionals walks you through relaxation exercises. 

There are other types of sound therapies available, including:

Meditative Music

Meditative music combines music and meditation to help reduce stress and increase relaxation. To reap the most benefits from this method, patients will need an understanding of music theory and the ability to visualize mentally. These skills help the body relax and trigger therapeutic benefits. This type of meditation has been around for centuries and is used in spiritual ceremonies and rituals worldwide.

Active Sound Therapy 

Active Sound Therapy encourages the patient to actively produce sound, such as a chant, to reduce anxiety. Both the audience and patient are encouraged to make audible sounds. This therapy is ideal for someone who wants to strengthen their voice and improve self-esteem. 

Facilitated Sound Therapy

Facilitated Sound Therapy is another therapy focused on altering brain wave patterns. It's often used in conjunction with hypnosis or other guided meditation for best results. Methods include musical therapy and sound journeys. 

Sound-Activated Body and Energy Therapy

Sound-activated body and energy therapy leverages sound waves to alter brain wave patterns; vibroacoustic therapy falls under this category. During a vibroacoustic therapy session, you might opt for a sound bath or guided relaxation techniques while under the guidance of a professional. Another, more self-directed type of sound wave-based therapy would be binaural beats, which are pre-recorded, specifically designed audio tracks that entrain brain waves for various health benefits. 

Reducing Stimulus as a Complementary Practice to Sound Therapy

Along with sound therapy, there are other steps you can take to reduce the buildup of stress and anxiety in your nervous system. Create a sleep oasis in the bedroom by removing televisions and other sources of blue light. Turn off all screens around thirty minutes before your desired bedtime to mitigate insomnia. While we rely on our devices for work and entertainment, lowering our usage throughout the day can slow the accumulation of stress and anxiety. Another often overlooked source of environmental sensory stress is in our vehicles. Listening to music while driving can be a great distraction from boredom, but the volume and rhythm of some music can negatively impact the nervous system. We can reduce that impact by enjoying it at lower volumes or occasionally driving silently. 

Take Your First Steps With the Help of RBI Clinic

External stimuli can overwhelm your nervous system and cause the buildup of stress and anxiety. Sound therapy is one of the best ways to minimize these effects on your body. Vibroacoustic therapy relieves these uniquely modern stressors, especially when you combine therapy with a complementary practice, such as limiting screen time or improving sleep habits. Contact the Rizvi Brain Institute today to start experiencing the benefits of sound therapy, including sound baths and acoustic flow chair experiences. Take the first step towards a calmer, more relaxed you.