--:-- Mel Robbins: Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. So the other day I was scrolling on social media and I saw this random video that blew my freaking mind. And it was all about how you can squeeze the juice from a lemon with zero effort. And here I've been cutting lemons in half and squeezing them by hand like a dummy. Turns out that's not how you do it.
--:-- Mel Robbins: You want to know how you do it? You pick up a whole lemon, all right? You got the whole lemon in your hand and then you pick up a poker like a grilling skewer or a chopstick or anything with like a pointy end and then you pierce the end of the lemon, you know, the pointy part with this poker. Now check this out. When you start to pull the poker out of the pointy end of the lemon juice just starts spraying out of the tip of the lemon. I mean, I have been doing this lemon squeeze thing wrong my entire life. Don't you just love those hacks? I am sure you've had the same experience. You're like, well, been opening a pack of bacon all wrong.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Well, I love these hacks too. And that's why I love what you and I are going to talk about today. You and I are going to talk about this incredible research that is related to music and how you can use music to hack concentration, a better mood, priming your brain to learn, greater focus, and even healing. Yep, you're going to hear about this study about how certain music promotes healing. And when you're done listening today, you're going to think, I've been listening to music all wrong my whole life. If music were like juice and a lemon today, I'm giving you the little poker trick. And I cannot wait for you to hear this because a little bit of music is going to make your whole life better.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Hey, it's your friend Mel, and thank you for being here with me. And I want to just acknowledge you for taking time to listen to something that could improve your life. If you're a new listener, I also want to welcome you to the Mel Robbins Podcast family. I am so glad that you're here. I'm Mel Robbins, and I cannot wait to share this time together with you. And today, you and I have such a cool topic to talk about. We're going to talk about this incredible research related to music and how you can use music to hack your concentration, your mood, to prime your brain to learn. There's even certain kinds of music that will help you focus and sleep better and research even shows that a certain type of music at a certain frequency can help you heal. I mean, how cool is that?
--:-- Mel Robbins: This is way better than learning how to juice a lemon, because the research that you're going to learn today is going to help you squeeze more juice from your entire life and from your brain. You're just going to love this. Because all you got to do once you learn everything that we're going to talk about today is just hit play. And the music and the incredible wiring in your brain and your body, they will do all the work for you. So let's jump in.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And I want to start by talking about how you can use music as a hack to put you in a better mood almost instantaneously. It turns out, according to research, that when you listen to songs that you liked when you were growing up or songs that were kind of like the anthem during certain periods of your life, research shows that simply listening to these old songs puts you in a better mood. And I think you kind of know this. You kind of know this, right? Because you've experienced this before. But when I share the research with you and we really unpack this and what's happening in your body and your brain, I really want you to lean into this because it's a powerful tool that you can use in your day-to-day life. Okay?
--:-- Mel Robbins: So just picture this. You're driving in your car. You're just cruising down the highway. You're thinking about work or you're thinking about your grocery list or you're wondering, oh my God, did anyone feed the dog? Your mind is just busy turning over these thoughts. And all of a sudden, one of your favorite songs from high school comes on the radio. For me, oh boy, there was a phase early in high school, I was so into the Cure and the Specials, you know, "Friday, I'm in Love." I don't even want to say I'm a terrible singer. You will turn this off if I sing. So I'm not going to be singing.
--:-- Mel Robbins: But then there was a phase where everybody in my high school in Western Michigan was way into Bruce Springsteen. "Born in the USA" came out, I believe, when I was in high school. And there was also this whole body of music that's now called yacht rock. That's that sort of like easy, soft rock stuff that my parents were constantly playing. It was like always in the house or in the car or like in the boat. You know that song, "If You Like Pina Coladas"? So I'm so embarrassed. I am so embarrassed when I sing because I think I have a terrible voice. But when you even think about those lyrics, "If you like pina coladas," aren't you immediately transported back in time?
--:-- Mel Robbins: I mean, first, if you think about your favorite songs, stop and think right now. What was one of your favorite songs when you were in high school? Maybe even had a poster hanging in your room. You played it over and over and over again. If you had siblings, they were like, turn it off. Oh my gosh, you knew all the words. If you think of that song, you immediately start thinking about all the memories that you have from that period of your life. And what's so interesting about this to me is you don't have to think to yourself, oh, I'm going to think about that time I took a road trip with friends. And now that the song is on, no, no, no, no. Your mind naturally just hearing the song goes there.
--:-- Mel Robbins: I cannot hear that song, rather, "If You Like Pina Coladas" — I don't even know what the heck the name of the song is. Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't. You know that song, right? And not immediately just go back to being in middle school and nights in Michigan where I grew up. It just naturally goes there. You think of your song, maybe you're thinking about a road trip with friends, or the day you went to see that band in concert, or a school dance where you were just so excited because you had a huge crush on that person and that song was playing in the sweaty gymnasium in middle school.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Or I don't remember what song it is. Maybe you guys can remember this, but there was a song when I was in middle school. Gosh, I was racking my brain trying to figure this out. I'm hoping you will write in and tell me what this was. It was a song that would play near the end of every middle school dance. And I'm talking early 80s, everybody. It is a song that is probably eight minutes long. And this song would come on. And so help me God, I cannot remember what it is. But if you were dancing with somebody that you really liked, you were so excited. I mean, because you were going to hold them close. This was going to be like that hip rocking circle for eight minutes long. Oh yeah, you won the lottery because you get to be with this. But if you were with the wrong person, this is like a slow death march in a circle with the wrong person. And that's... God, I wish I could remember that. You know what it is. It like starts out slow and then it builds and it's like so long and it was at the end of it. Anyway.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Or I'll give you another example. When I was in eighth grade, my dad fulfilled his lifelong dream of renting a motorhome and taking his family on a cross-country road trip where we visited all of these national parks. And we had three eight-track cassette tapes in that motorhome. We had Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits. We had the band America and their Greatest Hits. And we had Hooked on Classics. And I'm going to tell you something. If Hooked on Classics comes on, I can feel myself just hearing that music. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Like just the ba-da-da-da-da-da. I feel myself in the motorhome, cruising down I-90 toward the Corn Palace in Iowa, playing Jim Remy with my mom and my brother in the back while my dad drove. I mean, it's immediate. You know what I'm saying? You've got these songs, right? There's research around what's happening because you don't have to think. Your body and your brain remembers.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And here's another one. So I haven't talked to you guys about this, but I am all fired up because my daughters and I just went to see Taylor Swift in concert. Holy cow. I got to do a whole episode about everything that I learned from Taylor Swift, but that's a whole nother thing. It was insane what a sensory experience that concert was. Because her first album debut came out when my daughter Kendall was, I think, seven years old. I mean, Kendall picked up a guitar in order to learn how to play Taylor's music. Her music was the soundtrack of my life as a young mom and of their life growing up. I mean, when you got two girls, like that's what was playing. And so fast forward almost two decades later, here we are in concert screaming our brains out. And it's almost like as all the music was playing. I was both in the concert with my adult daughters, but I could also feel in my body like I was in a car, like in 2010, driving carpool to a lacrosse tournament and "Cruel Summer" playing. You know what I mean? "I'm drunk in the back of the car." Oh, like I just... Holy cow.
--:-- Mel Robbins: What about you? What was some of the favorite music from your past? Is there a particular song that brings up fun memories for you? Like maybe it was the song that played the summer you graduated from high school or the song that your dad always played. And every time you hear the song, you immediately think of him. Or maybe it was your first dance song, right? Every time our first dance song comes on the radio, Barry White, "Can't Get Enough of Your Love," that's what Chris and I first danced to. I'm like, fighting song! Like, and I'm right there.
--:-- Mel Robbins: I want to explain the research to you. Because according to researchers, you and I can use the happy associations from these songs of our past to lift our mood in the present. How cool is that? And you've experienced it just by accident. But I want you to get intentional about this because check this out. The researchers dove deep into understanding why memories associated with songs like immediately change your mood. And they say that you and I tend to have more memories associated with older songs than newer ones. And there's a term for this. It is called neural nostalgia. In other words, these songs from our past where we have really positive memories and positive emotional associations with them.
--:-- Mel Robbins: I'll give you another one. The Steve Miller Band. That album with the horse head on the cover. I played that, oh my gosh, sophomore summer in college. And these songs from your past that you and I have positive associations with, it's kind of like reminding you of a time in life when you had less stress, when maybe you had a little less on your plate, you were a little more innocent, you felt a little more hopeful. You have happy memories that are intrinsically linked with music from your past. So the fancy way that scientists talk about this is they call this music evoked autobiographical memory, which means you have emotions that are like crazy strong driving to the grocery store simply because you hear a song from the past.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And what's also cool is like, let's just say you're driving to the grocery store, right? And all of a sudden, the song that was the defining song of your high school summer or your college years or being a young parent or being in your 20s in the city, all of a sudden hits the car. Your body changes immediately. And you know what else happens? Vivid memories. You immediately remember living in the city post-college with your friends. You immediately remember that summer that you took that road trip. You immediately remember your childhood and something you were doing. And we're going to get into the science of why this is the case.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And I am so fired up about this topic because I just experienced this with the Taylor Swift concert, not only at the concert, by the way, but a week before our daughter, Kendall, found a playlist of the set that Taylor was going to play. And again, Kendall is the super fan. And so she was like, you got to listen to the playlist. And I'm like, I know all these songs. She's like, I know, but you got to listen to the playlist. I'll tell you what, even listening to the set list before the concert, as I'm driving my errands and I'm going here and there, it flooded me with a decade and a half of memories raising my girls. And the same thing is going to happen to you. I mean, you've experienced this. There's nothing cooler than it being a beautiful day and the windows are down in the car and the song is coming on the speakers and the wind is blowing and you feel this feeling of freedom and joy.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So let me explain what's going on inside your brain when you hear music that you associate with great memories. It's so cool because what's happening is biological. See, the music is activating a part of your brain called the limbic system. And the limbic system is located beneath the brain surface and it's involved in learning, but it also is in charge of memory and emotional responses. And I find it personally fascinating that the research shows that the limbic system is involved and activated when you are listening to music from your past. And all of a sudden, all these memories are triggered.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And it made me think about something. So in the world today, we talk a lot about trauma, right? And when you hear the word trauma, you immediately think negative past experience, right? And if you've ever had a traumatic experience, one of the things that happens is all of a sudden you'll be living your day-to-day life and boom, some negative memory pops into your mind from the past. And I can give you a quick example. So one traumatic experience for me is that I was in a car crash where the car rolled. And I can remember being in that car like it was yesterday. Like I can literally close my eyes. The memory is so seared into my mind and into my body that I know exactly what it felt like to be in that car as it rolled.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Now here's an interesting thing. That accident happened when it was snowing. And there was a particular sound that I heard as the car was rolling. And it's the sound of snow crunching. You know how snow's like... And to this day, I'm talking decades later, if I walk down a sidewalk and the snow crunches under my feet, I have the sensation of immediately being back in a car that's rolling. It's a form of negative neural nostalgia, right? Like we've just been learning about how songs can take you back to the positive. So here's what I want you to understand that I think is super cool. The same mechanism in your body that records negative traumatic experiences, right? And you then get triggered and you remember them or you feel things from your past. It's the exact same recording system that records the positive ones.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And it explains why you remember positive memories when it was like something super emotional. It's because the high state of emotion, being in a car crash, high state of emotion, right? And when you're in a high state of emotion, the limbic system's activated and it's trying to remember everything. The emotions are on fire and it's trying to protect you. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, which is why it records it. It's why I remember the sound. Same thing with positive. Same thing with positive. You're in a high positive emotional state. Think about graduation from high school. Think about graduation from college. Think about your wedding day. Think about when your first child was born. Think about some of the most positive experiences, even positive experiences like you are seeing your favorite band play.
--:-- Mel Robbins: I will never forget what it was like to be in that stadium with my daughter screaming every single word of those Taylor Swift songs. I was in such an activated, excited, positive state that my limbic system was on fire recording the memory. And it's the reason why, for example, you can remember things like, I bet you can remember what kind of day it was and details about your high school graduation years later, right? You can almost put yourself back there. Highly positive state. But I bet you cannot remember what you did the Thursday before graduation, can you? Of course not. If you've ever been in a car accident you know exactly what you were doing right before the accident happened but you don't know what you were doing two days before. And there's a reason why the heightened emotional state that your body went into is what triggers the recording of the memory. That's why this works.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And you know, I hate the fact that it's good that we have a word for negative trauma, but I wish we had like a really amazing pump up word for the positive recording because it's the exact same thing. It's only with your best memories, not your worst. And what this research is telling you is that this neural nostalgia that gets created because of the heightened emotion and also repetition, that's also part of the research when it comes to the encoding of these memories. And you listen to the song over and over and over, and you're having these happy days and it's the best summer of your life and oh my god that it's the heightened emotion that locks in the memory. That's why this works. Isn't the science so cool?
--:-- Mel Robbins: Neural nostalgia is such a hugely cool thing and can be a remarkable tool for you to help you lift your mood or to help you change your mindset because you know that song that you heard at one of your favorite concerts, boom, it can put you right there. You know, like for example for me, one of the best concerts I have ever been to in my entire life, 2017 Gillette Stadium, U2 Joshua Tree album tour. All I have to do is hear the opening riff of the first song on U2's Joshua Tree album. The guitar starts playing and all of a sudden it like accelerates. And I'm transported to Gillette Stadium, July 2017.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And you know, a funny story about that tour. Right before the concert, I happened to be giving a speech in Vegas to 27,000 people and I was standing backstage, one of the biggest events that I'd ever spoken at and the whole setup and the production for that event, 27,000 people was unbelievable. And the guy who was working for the production company who did the event in Vegas that I was speaking at also happened to be the production company that was doing U2's tour. And he told me this story about the fact that it was the first time U2 played in front of this massive, like, IMAX-sized screen. And it was the first time that anyone had ever done a tour with a screen that size. It was 8K resolution. It was 200 feet by 40 feet tall cinematic screen. It was the largest high res screen at a touring show ever.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And he told me the funniest story. He said that a few years before the Joshua Tree tour, U2 had signed a contract to do a stadium tour. But the album that they were planning to tour wasn't ready. So they had to scramble because they had booked all the stadiums. And they decided to just do their most popular album of all time, like front to back, cover to cover. I mean, absolutely incredible. And I don't know if it's a true story or not. It's just the one that he told me. And I got to tell you, it was one of the best nights of my entire life.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And I'll tell you why. Joshua Tree, the album, was released March 9th, 1987, which was the spring of my freshman year of college. I played that album until the needle broke on my record player. I mean, it was the album of my college experience and so many other people too. In fact, at the concert in 2017, it was like crazy. There was a huge thunderstorm. And right before U2 came out, the sky broke open and the sun came down. And then all of a sudden, that first song played and the 200-foot cinematic screen started running the music videos that had played on MTV back in the day. And I looked around, everybody there was my age. It was like the world's biggest college reunion. All of us who had been freshmen in 1987, it was magical. It was iconic.
--:-- Mel Robbins: But here's the part I want you to hone in on. Your favorite music from the past can help you hit the reset button on your mood right now. Simply putting on one of your favorite songs from high school, from college, from your childhood, from another time in your life that reminds you of a really good memory. The second you hit play, your mind and your body does the work. It changes you. And as we go further and further into this topic of using music as a hack, you're going to learn the science. It's absolutely insane how this works. And I want you to understand this because whenever you're stressed or you're feeling really low or you're having a bad day or you're feeling isolated or alone, I want you to be able to use this tool.
--:-- Mel Robbins: I don't want you to just listen to me today as you're taking your walk or you've invited me into your house or your car or you're watching me, but I don't want you to just nod along and be like, yeah, I've experienced this, Mel. I know exactly what you mean. And I know exactly what my song is because these songs that transport you are a hack and a tool to make your life better. I want you to make a playlist because anytime that you want to shift in your mood, you don't have to wait for lightning to strike. You can put a song on that you love and you can let the song do the work. It could be exactly what you need. And oftentimes you don't need to want it to work. Seriously.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Have you ever had somebody that's like really sad and you're like, oh, come on, let me cheer you up. And then all you do is you put their favorite song on. They look at you and they're mad because they don't want to feel better. And the song turns on. And by the time the song's done, they're feeling better. That's why this is such a great hack, because you don't have to feel like it. You just have to put on the music that will lift your mood. And this is for when you want an immediate shift. I want you to consider this research when you're feeling like, oh, I don't know. Put the song on and let the research and your brain do the work for you.
--:-- Mel Robbins: In fact, you know, I've got a little hack for you. If you ever want people to help you do the dishes, all you got to do is play music. My trick is I've got this disco playlist that I use to make people help me with the dishes. Yep. You put, you have a big dinner party. You got your family around. You got a backyard barbecue. Boom. Hit the disco playlist. Mine begins with Y-M-C-A. And you people like young men, like when that starts playing, people cannot sit at the table while you're busing. Everybody starts picking up their plates and sort of wiggling toward the kitchen. And you will all of a sudden have put on a playlist disco that activates brainwaves inside of everybody. And now they're moving and they're grooving and they're motivated and they're helping you. And it becomes a dish party instead of a chore that you have to do.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So I want you to use this to your advantage. And here's how. Number one, make a playlist in advance. When you're done listening to this, please make a playlist. Remember back in the day, being 55 years old, I remember making mixtapes for other people that I loved. Remember doing that? Where you would have one of those fancy stereos that had a double cassette player so you could stop, play, record, stop, and you'd have to... Do you remember that? I remember being so psycho about it. I remember actually trimming and doing hand edits on this at time. If you're in your 20s, you probably did not do this. Although maybe you make playlists for people. You probably make playlists for people. And so when you made a playlist, what were you doing? You were trying to communicate emotion to somebody. This is how I feel about you. I made this gift for you. When you make a playlist for somebody today, you're doing the same thing. Make it for yourself. Make a playlist of your favorite old songs.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And here's another hack. You can create the playlist and not fill it yet. And if you're just randomly listening and a great song comes up, just add it to the existing playlist and you can label them based on your mood. My hype playlist. My I'm feeling down pick me up playlist. My high school favorite songs playlist. And those tunes will get your mood up. And you want to know how you know that this research is true? Look at Spotify. They have playlists that are marketed to you based on mood: confidence, sunny afternoon, fun barbecue. They know what they're doing. They know the science. So you use the science too. Your playlist should be made to put yourself in an uplifted mood. You can shake off a bad day and you can tap into... Now you know the fancy word, neural nostalgia. But you always knew that this was there. Now I just want you to use it.
--:-- Mel Robbins: All right, that's hack number one. Next up, you are going to learn how to use two different types of music to prime your brain for learning, productivity, memory, and better concentration. And look, if you want to perform better, you need to know this research. If you want to do well at work, you got to know this. If you want to know how to use music and the cool science to prime your brain for peak performance, you have to hear and know this research. And in fact, I'm also going to be playing some of the specific music that primes you to be able to concentrate right after the break. And while you're listening to our sponsors, share this episode, particularly with anyone who needs to focus or concentrate or do their best. And for anyone that you love that's in school, they're studying for an exam, they got big board thing coming up. They're trying just not to fail out of high school. They need this research. So give them a share and don't you dare go anywhere because we're digging into that research on music and concentration when we return.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Welcome back. Today, you and I are talking about music and how to use specific types of music based on research to unlock this power and potential inside of you. Now, we've already talked about neural nostalgia and this really cool phenomenon on how you can boost your mood, transport yourself back to a better time by simply listening to music that reminds you of great memories from your past. I absolutely love that research and I hope that you're excited to put a playlist together. And at the end of the episode, by the way, I'm going to be sharing a few of my favorite playlists with you too and information on how you can access them.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So now I want to move into the next way you're going to use music as a hack. And there's this really interesting area of research in the role that music can play when it comes to priming your brain so that you perform your best. And the way we're going to dig into this is that we're going to cover two different types of music. First up, we're going to unpack music that you can listen to and should listen to, by the way, before you're about to do something, okay? So you can think of this first type of music in the research, kind of like priming your brain. You're getting ready to do your best, okay?
--:-- Mel Robbins: Then we're going to unpack research on a type of music or sound that's called binaural beats, which is a specific sound that you should be listening to while you're either studying, writing, or reading. It will help you stay focused. It can help you relax. In fact, I'm going to play some for you in just a bit. And I'm so excited for you to know this, which is why I want you to share this with everyone who wants to perform their best, because this hack and this research you're about to learn is a total game changer.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So let's cover the first kind of music. The first kind of music that you should listen to right before you're going to do something important that is going to require you to either perform or requires concentration. This kind of music I want you to think about is like your personal walk-on music. Just like a sports team, you know how they all play the walk-on music, all the NFL guys run on to the field, boxers come on with the thing playing. It hypes them up. The same thing works for you and me before we're supposed to write or pay our bills or do something that really matters where you want to perform.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And you know, it may seem kind of weird. Now why would I play all this hype up music to get me all pumped up before I have to sit my butt in a chair and concentrate? I mean, isn't that kind of like going to backfire? Am I getting myself all jacked up and then I'm supposed to sit still? Not exactly. I want you to check this study out. This study proved that what they call, quote, familiar energetic music, researchers say that when you listen to this sort of familiar energetic music, which basically means hype music that you like, they say that it delivers performance gains inside you and puts you into a state of peak performance and focus.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So I'm sure you're thinking, what the heck is familiar energetic music? It's just music that you listen to that energizes you. For me right now, my playlist, it's like Lizzo, Dua Lipa, like anything that's like, okay, I got to get up and dance. And this is different than the kind of music that you and I were talking about earlier, right? Like kind of think about U2 from 1987 versus Dua Lipa. Very different kind of music, right?
--:-- Mel Robbins: The neural nostalgia music from U2 or that piña colada song, right, that reminds you of your parents. That's about triggering emotion. That's what that hack is about. That's about transporting yourself from one emotional state to another. Whereas this second hack in research is about using this sort of hype music and walk-on song idea to prime you energetically.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Let me explain the research because it's actually kind of incredible. This is a study that they did at NYU's Tandon School of Engineering. And so, it's an engineering study. They actually tallied it. They were fastidious about it. And sure enough, this study lasted six years. In the study, scientists asked people to put on wearable tracking devices, kind of like a Fitbit. And then they were part of the study for six years. So the scientists have six years of data to back this up. This is a deep study on human behavior. And they measured brain activity as people did things like drink coffee or sniff a stimulating aroma like a perfume. And also they measured brain activity when you listened to different kinds of music.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So check this out. After six years, the research found that energetic music—I'm talking whatever floats your boat, you like EDM, you like country, you like Dua Lipa, doesn't matter, whatever gets you going—when you listen to that kind of energetic music, it measurably alters brain arousal and altered it even more than other things that were measured in the study, more than coffee.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So why on earth is hype music that you love more effective at priming your brain than coffee? Well, check this out. This is where the science comes in. It's because of something called the beta band in your brain. Brainwave activity in this area, the beta band, puts you into a state associated with peak cognitive performance. And music increases activity to this beta band area. And you felt this, haven't you? You've got a big meeting or an interview, you put on a hype song. And when you walk in, don't you feel better? Of course you do.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So if you need to be on top of your game today, maybe you need to memorize something or maybe somebody that you love needs to get a really good grade on the psych exam. Or let's say you're getting close to work or you're on your commute right now as you're listening to me. Instead of just dragging yourself into the office, as you're walking the last few blocks or you're driving in the last couple miles, put on one of your favorite hype energetic songs. Don't drag yourself in. It's not just another Monday. Do you know that the best weeks of your life all started with a Monday? So let's turn on the music and let's pump yourself up. You can sing along.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And this is also why I really do want you to share this episode with people in your life, particularly people who are taking tests, whether they're sitting for board exams right now, or they're taking the real estate license, or they're just trying to not fail out of high school. You all need to hear this before an exam. You got to block out the world and all the anxious energy and you got to put your headphones on. And as you're walking into the school or you're walking into that test center, do not let that outside energy into your brain to distract you. You got to walk into that test like a boxer in a ring and destroy this freaking thing.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And I want you to use the science. I want you to activate the brain waves in the beta band. I don't even know if I'm saying it correctly, but I want you to activate the science and use music to prime your brain into a state of peak performance. And simply using music and this research will get it done. And you know what's so cool about this is that music is practically free. You can change your mood. You can increase your clarity and focus and activate a peak performance state by hitting play and simply listening to some of your favorite songs.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And you've seen pro athletes, haven't you? You know what they do? If you ever see tennis players, haven't you noticed they sometimes put on headphones? Have you ever noticed that people sit on the sidelines with headphones? Why? So that they can get themselves back into that headspace of winning.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And I got to share this thing with you because I think this is kind of cool. And it just shows you the power of this research and using it in your life. So as I was digging into the study, and we always read the studies and dig in and make sure that it's something that's legit and peer-reviewed and something that you can really feel confident and trust. The scientists worked on this study for over six years, which means they have six years of data to back up this finding and recommendation. We're talking about a deep, validated study on human behavior.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And this is what researchers were saying in their conclusions on a scientific study. There's always a conclusion at the end of a major academic study where the researchers give you their findings and they may even talk about what studies need to be done next. And researchers in this study were blown away by the possibility. They were so excited by the findings that I'm sharing with you. This is a quote of what the researchers of this study said: "Wouldn't it be great if we could live in a world where we could use simple things that are available to us to change our states of mind from angry to more peaceful or from afraid to focused and alert. Wouldn't life be so much better?" Of course it would. And you know it would too. I want that for you.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And that's why I love bringing you these little science-backed tips that can help you do exactly that, that you have access to right now. In fact, so many of you that are fans of the Mel Robbins podcast around the world, you're writing in and you're like, "How do I change my mindset? How do I stay positive? How do I be more optimistic?" And I am sitting here telling you, this is a tool. It's in your tool chest right now.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And what's also so cool is that the Mel Robbins podcast, which is helping you improve your life, is adjacent to this tool right on your smartphone. Because if you're listening in audio, whether you're on Spotify or Apple or Amazon Music or whatever, you can also listen to music in that same app. You're one click away from building a playlist and tapping into this research, whether you're going to use the neural nostalgia to immediately transport you to happy memories and a lifted mood, or you're going to use this research around what I'm calling the hype music and the beta band in your brain to put you in a state of peak performance. Two different playlists, profound research, immediate results.
--:-- Mel Robbins: All right, let's pause for a quick second so that you and I can hear a word from our amazing sponsors. And while you're listening to our amazing sponsors, share this with your amazing friends and families, because when you have a study where researchers are excited about the impact of this and you've got a free way to boost your mood and prime yourself for peak performance, every single person you care about should have access to this information.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So, all right, we got more to cover. Believe it or not, when we come back, you're going to hear about another type of music called binaural beats that will help you focus and relax. You're going to absolutely love it. And a little later, you're going to learn about a fourth type of music. And researchers have proven that this fourth type will help you heal. Stay with us.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Welcome back. I'm so excited that you're listening to this. And I'm really excited that you're learning all about this amazing research related to music and how it can help you tap into your potential for better learning, to boost your mood. And a little later, you're going to learn about a type of music that you should listen to for healing. It's so cool. But right now, I want to jump into that second type of music that researchers have proven will boost your focus and concentration.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So just before the break, we unpacked all the research around this hype music that you listen to before you're going to do something that stimulates your beta band in your brain and primes your brain for peak performance and productivity. Now I want to introduce you to a second type of music that's called binaural beats. And this binaural beat stuff is proven based on the research to be something that can help your brain work better. The research has shown that binaural beats help you focus, relax. They can help you sleep better, be more creative, do deep thinking for problem solving, or creating new ideas. In fact, listening to binaural beats, which is a specific type of soundtrack, is extremely popular here with a lot of the producers on the Mel Robbins podcast.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So what is this thing that is not really music, this binaural beats thing, but can help your brain get into a state of focus, calm, or creative thinking? Great question. So I'm going to play a track for you right now, a little excerpt, so that you can understand what it sounds like. And then I'm going to explain the science of binaural beats. And look, I'm going to warn you, sounds a little weird, okay? It almost sounds like there's a fluttering in the background. Check this out.
--:-- [Sound effect: A short clip of binaural beats plays]
--:-- Mel Robbins: Yeah, I kind of think it's like, were there some whales that just swam by? I mean, what the heck was that? It's kind of weird, right? But you want to know something fascinating? If you Google binaural beats or you search for it on Spotify or Apple or Amazon Music, you will find all kinds of playlists curated with this specific kind of sound. This stuff is really popular and there's kind of two ways you can use it. You can either use it while you are trying to do something. So you actually put the headphones on and you listen while you're trying to focus or concentrate, or you can use binaural beats as a way to get yourself ready. And so you can listen to it before you need to focus or concentrate.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So let's dig into the science of this kind of weird sound. Binaural beats are what scientists call an auditory illusion. And here's how they work. They work by putting your headphones on. And headphones are really important here because you need to experience binaural beats with individual sound coming into each one of your ears. Plus, if you play this weird whale song stuff over the speakers, your family's going to be like, "You lost your mind."
--:-- Mel Robbins: Once you have your headphones in, what's so cool is the binaural beats track does the work with your brain. And I want you to understand what's happening as you listen to something like this. So let me play a small clip again.
--:-- [Sound effect: A short clip of binaural beats plays]
--:-- Mel Robbins: Now the track is designed so that the sound in your ears are slightly different. There are two notes that are almost the same, but one note is coming into one ear and it's a little higher pitch. And the other note that's coming in the other ear is a little lower pitch. And your brain then takes in these two different notes and then mixes them together. And when your brain mixes the two different notes together, your brain is creating a new kind of sound that you hear, which has been created from these two different notes, each one coming in a different ear, and creates this original sound resulting in this sort of gentle humming sensation and sound inside of your brain.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And this is the really cool part. The thing that you're hearing in your brain isn't actually playing. I'm going to say that again. The thing that you're hearing in your brain isn't actually playing. Because remember, the binaural beats are two different notes. The thing that you hear in your brain is just how your brain synthesizes the two notes together and makes this third sound that only you can hear. Isn't that cool? That's why researchers call that third sound that your brain makes, that only you hear, an auditory illusion.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Now, let me explain why this helps with concentration. Just imagine that you've got your headphones on and you've got one sound coming in one ear and the other sound coming in the other ear, and then your brain kicks into high gear and your brain synthesizes these two notes into one humming noise. And the frequency that your brain is now creating is a frequency that boosts concentration naturally. How freaking cool is that? That's why this works.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So now that you understand the science, I want to underscore something. You can use binaural beats for different things. And when you search for playlists, just Google it or just go on to whatever audio platform you're listening to this podcast on and search for binaural beats. You will come up with all kinds of playlists, some for sleep, some for focus, for concentration, for lowering stress. And you want to know the difference between the playlists? Can you guess why they're different? They're different because each playlist with a different purpose is designed to create different frequencies in the brain that map to the thing you want to do.
--:-- Mel Robbins: For example, if you want to listen to binaural beats to relax, the frequency that your brain creates when it goes is different than the frequency that your brain creates on the playlist when you listen to binaural beats for concentration. Isn't that so cool that they figured out the actual frequency that maps to the thing you want to do? And so you're literally just listening to music and your brain does the rest. Oh my God, I just love this.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And I'm going to give you an example from a Danish study that just came out to prove to you how powerful this is. Let me tell you what they did in the study. They had patients going through cataract surgery, which is something my dad just did two weeks ago. And they had the patients listen to binaural beats, a whole playlist, on headphones. And it was a particular binaural beats playlist that's designed to help someone relax. And so they listened to this kind of whale sound during surgery. And guess what? It really works. The patients in cataract surgery relaxed. And this is also based on peer-reviewed science.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So how does this work exactly? Because it's a little bit more than your brain goes. It works because your brain is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons. And these neurons communicate with each other by sending teeny electrical signals. And when lots of neurons send signals at the same time, they create patterns of electrical activity, which we call brain waves. See how smart you are? That's pretty cool, right?
--:-- Mel Robbins: So listening to binaural beats helps your brain synchronize its natural brain waves to the frequency of the binaural beat. Now this is kind of like a tuning fork. Have you ever struck a tuning fork and then everything around it sort of vibrates? This is a scientific phenomenon known as brainwave entrainment. So by listening to binaural beats, one frequency in the left ear, one frequency in the right ear, your brain is now synthesizing into a third frequency. It's almost like the binaural beats helps you calibrate the electrical activity in your brain to be at a prime brainwave to be able to focus or concentrate or lower stress.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And you may be thinking, "Well, why would I want to entrain my brain? Is this really legit, Mel?" Yeah, it's not only legit, but the science is actually really, really cool. So your brain has electrical activity that's measured in Hertz. And this electrical activity happens in waves, like we've already talked about.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So how do you use binaural beats the right way? Well, I'm going to give you my personal recommendation. But I want you to create a protocol that works for you. So just think about this as a quick starter guide to using binaural beats based on a few studies that I've read and the recommendations from several people on our team that use them in their life and work.
--:-- Mel Robbins: First of all, you've got to use headphones or earbuds. And this is super important because each ear, as you've now learned, receives a distinct frequency that's necessary in order to create that binaural beat.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Second, when you first do this, find a quiet and comfortable place where you're not going to be disturbed by anybody or distracted by people moving around you. And that will help make the binaural beats more effective.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Third, I don't want you to crank the volume like you're trying to blast it for everybody on the beach to hear. Set the volume at a really comfortable level for you. It shouldn't be rattling, just loud enough to hear the beats clearly, but not so loud that you start to feel a little agitated.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Fourth, listen to at least 15 to 30 minutes per session. Now, longer sessions, some of the research says may be more effective, particularly if you're trying to relax or you're trying to use binaural beats to help you fall asleep.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And it's really personal preference whether you listen to a track before you have to concentrate and focus, or if you want to listen to the track while you're having to concentrate and focus. I would recommend trying both out and just see what works best for you and your brain.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And the research also suggests that listening to binaural beats as part of your daily routine makes it even more effective because your brain becomes faster at adapting to this auditory illusion. And it's literally like a cue. And you can better tune to the right frequency faster and better the more you do it.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And finally, use high quality recordings from reputable sources to ensure that the beats are produced accurately. We're talking science here and brainwaves. And I will list a bunch of sources in the show notes, but you can also find them on Spotify, on YouTube, and there are also binaural beat apps that we will link to. Super cool, huh?
--:-- Mel Robbins: So now let's go into another sound hack that will make you feel immediately calm, centered, and present. And there's even exciting research suggesting that listening to this type of sound can help you heal. Now, I call this angel music. But scientifically speaking, it's called solfeggio frequencies.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And you want to know the first time I heard one of these angel sounds, these solfeggio frequencies? It was on a viral video. And it was this video that went crazy viral on social media. It was of this adorable 13-year-old boy who was singing on Britain's Got Talent. I will never forget it. The kid opened his mouth. It was as if angels were singing. And they labeled this video "God Frequency."
--:-- Mel Robbins: And in this clip that you're about to hear, he's singing at a very particular hertz. Very, very few people on the planet can sing at this frequency. There are so few people who can sing at this frequency that I need you to hear it. And as you listen, I want you to notice what happens in your body. And here's a clip of 13-year-old Malachi Bio singing on Britain's Got Talent. Check this out.
--:-- [Sound effect: A clip of Malachi Bio singing plays]
--:-- Mel Robbins: Holy cow. I mean, even Simon Cowell was blown away. He described Malachi as the best voice he'd ever heard, gave him the golden buzzer, which sent him right to the finals. The other judges said listening to him was like being in heaven. I have goosebumps just hearing his voice. This frequency can make people just automatically start crying.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And when I think about all the research that we've talked about today, remember the very beginning where we talked about neural nostalgia and how songs from your past literally just immediately take you to a different time. They hijack your mind and your body. To me, this is almost like neural nostalgia, but it's deeper than a memory. It hits you at a soul level.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So here's what's super special about solfeggio frequencies, or as I call it, angel music. As soon as you hear it, your brainwaves and your nervous system calibrate to it. It's like a tuning fork for your soul. And so I want to play a little more of Malachi Bio singing. And I just want you to pay attention as you hear his voice, notice if you get goosebumps. Notice if you feel tears forming or if you feel a shift of energy in your body.
--:-- [Sound effect: A clip of Malachi Bio singing plays]
--:-- Mel Robbins: Isn't that remarkable? You felt something in your body, didn't you? And what you felt is the science we've been talking about. You felt the power of certain frequencies of sound waves to physiologically and neurologically and emotionally change you in an instant. Isn't this so exciting?
--:-- Mel Robbins: In fact, there's a really legit and robust study done at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia, using high-frequency sound waves and their ability to shift things physiologically. And researchers have been using sound waves to stimulate stem cells to start the process to turn into bone cells. Just stop and think about all of this that we've learned today. From the very beginning of our conversation, music and sound frequencies work because your entire body is designed to work on electrical signals internally. For example, your brain, the neurons have patterns of signaling activity. And I'm sure that's what these scientists just found in Melbourne, Australia, at a cellular level, that there's this signaling that can get manipulated and stimulated.
--:-- Mel Robbins: So I think it begs the question, how do you use this angel music? How do you use this high frequency to your advantage? Well, you can use it to help you stay calm. You can use it to make you feel more at peace. You can use it by simply listening for 10 minutes, an hour, or all day. In fact, one of our producers, Amy, puts this healing frequency on as background music when her family is home, and she swears it makes her family feel more harmonious toward one another.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And I think you kind of get it, don't you? If you hear a voice like that, it's almost like you got to put down the phone. Your whole body attunes to it. And that's why I'm really excited about this research, that you now know four different ways that you can use all of these different types of music to unlock this potential.
--:-- Mel Robbins: Whether you are trying to heal or be calm or feel more peaceful, whether you want to stop worrying and feeling kind of glum and transport yourself to a happier memory, whether you're going to use the research that we learned today about having hype music that gets you all excited and primes your brain—remember the beta band—to get you ready to do something, or whether you're going to use the amazing research that we unpacked about binaural beats so that you can help yourself focus or relax. It's just kind of incredible.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And you can search for these playlists online, but to make it easy, I always like to put my arm around you and say, "Come on, you're coming with us." We have listed all of the studies, all of the resources we always do in the show notes. So if you look in the description, just click on show notes, it'll take you there. I'm going to send you a link to my favorite private playlist that I created that really gets me moving and grooving. And I think you can tell how excited I am by this. It's because I feel the impact of all of this research in my own life. And I want you to feel it too.
--:-- Mel Robbins: And that's also why I want you to share this episode with people that you love. And one more thing that I would love for you to share. What's your favorite playlist? What is the song that makes you just feel like you're ready to destroy it or do your best? Or it's the song that really makes you come alive. And I'd love for you to drop it in the comments. If you're on Spotify, you can leave that in a review on Apple so that we can see it. But let us know what is the music that makes you happy, that makes you more productive, because I bet we could probably crowdsource the world's greatest playlist. And wouldn't that be amazing?
--:-- Mel Robbins: Alrighty, one more thing. In case no one else tells you today, there's something else you need to hear. I love you and I believe in you and I believe in your ability to create a better life. And all of the research that you learned today is going to help you do it. Now go press play and do it. I'll talk to you in a few days.
--:-- Mel Robbins: All right, here we go. You ready, Trace? Let's go. Okay, here we go. Well, check this out. This is where the science comes in. Now, you already heard about having this hype music that stimulates the beta brain in the beta band. Oh my God. At a very, very particular hertz. Hurts. How are my feet dirty after I took a bath last night and I just got out of the shower?
--:-- Mel Robbins: Oh, and one more thing. And no, this is not a blooper. This is the legal language you know what the lawyers write and what I need to read to you. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. I'm just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I'll see you in the next episode.
