The audio we listen to can change how we feel about ourselves.

Researchers from the University of Oxford divided 135 participants into five groups. Each group heard a different set of audio instructions. Two of these groups listened to audio that encouraged participants to be kind to themselves. The remaining groups listened to audio that was more critical.

Researchers found that after only 11 minutes, the positive-recording groups reported a greater sense of self-compassion and appeared more relaxed. The negative-recording participants were visually distressed and displayed an increased heart rate.

This study demonstrates that the words we expose ourselves to, in recordings or in real life, have a powerful effects on our mental and physical wellbeing.

Source:

University of Exeter (2019, February 6). Being kind to yourself has mental and physical benefits. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 21, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190206200344.htm