Health care workers often move from one demanding situation to another with little time to pause. Long hours, grief, trauma and constant pressure can take a toll on mood and energy. A Northwestern Medicine study suggests that a simple 20-minute music session may offer clinicians a practical way to reset during the workday.

Burnout affects about half of health care workers, yet researchers have studied far fewer simple interventions that could help reduce its effects. The new research looked at whether restorative improvisatory music could improve well-being without adding another demanding task to an already busy schedule.

A 20-Minute Music Session

Researchers studied 724 Northwestern Medicine physicians, neurology staff members and social workers in the Chicago area. Participants rested in a quiet, dimly lit room while listening to 20 minutes of live or prerecorded restorative improvisatory music.

The music featured slow, flowing melodies with periods of silence. After the session, participants reported better moods and higher energy levels. Average self-reported energy rose from 56% before the session to 83% afterward.

The study was published Sept. 20 in Frontiers in Psychology. It examined an intervention that began as a wellness effort during the COVID-19 pandemic, when health care workers faced intense stress.

Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour, the study's corresponding author, is an associate professor of behavioral neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician. He explained that the approach differs from guided meditation.

“This is not like guided meditation.”

Participants simply lie down and listen. Bonakdarpour said, “They just lay down and listen; that's the beauty of it. Music will work its magic.”

How the Program Started

Gemini | A 20-minute improvisatory music session offers health care workers a simple, effective workday reset to combat burnout.

Bonakdarpour and Clara Takarabe, a music practitioner and study co-author, developed the intervention during the pandemic. Their work later continued through a partnership with Dr. Gaurava Agarwal, Northwestern Medicine's chief wellness executive and a study co-author.

Participants used Northwestern Medicine's Recuperation Room, located within the physician's lounge. They listened to prerecorded music performed by Takarabe, a professional violist.

Researchers noticed that many physicians were using the room, which led them to collect survey data about their experiences. Participants who completed the post-session surveys reported better emotional states, more energy and a strong willingness to recommend the intervention.

After the pandemic, Takarabe also began performing live restorative music for social workers in the community.

Why Music May Help

Earlier Northwestern University research found that improvisatory music could lower blood pressure, slow breathing and encourage a meditative brain state. The newer study builds on those findings by examining how the approach may affect clinicians' well-being.

Bonakdarpour and his team found that music can shift brain activity from faster beta waves toward slower alpha waves. Alpha activity is linked with relaxation and meditation.

Bonakdarpour explained that slowing brain activity may give the brain time to recover. He compared this process with sleep, when the brain has an opportunity to clear waste products and restore energy.

The effect may also begin quickly. According to Bonakdarpour, music can influence breathing, heart rate and brain activity before a listener becomes consciously aware of those changes.

Restorative improvisatory music has some specific features that may support this response. Its slower pace and pauses create periods when listeners can focus without having to actively follow instructions.

A Different Way to Rest

Gemini AI | Short music sessions give healthcare staff a practical, effortless mental reset during shifts.

Pariya Salehi, the first author and a research assistant in Bonakdarpour's lab, said the brain can synchronize with restorative music.

“Something special about restorative music is the brain's ability to get in tune with the music and synchronize to it.”

That quality may make the practice easier for people who find active mindfulness techniques difficult. Instead of following a guided exercise, participants can simply listen and allow their attention to settle.

Dr. Ryan Donaghy experienced the intervention while working as a medical resident. He is now an assistant professor of neurology at Feinberg and a Northwestern Medicine neurologist.

Donaghy said music can help listeners focus their attention fully rather than allowing their minds to wander.

“The music gives the listener an ability to focus on something with their whole being.”

He also noted that paying attention to subtle changes in music can strengthen focus, which can be difficult to maintain in a highly stimulating environment. Donaghy continues to use restorative music and mindfulness practices in his daily work as a clinician.

More Research Is Needed

The study provides an early look at the potential benefits of restorative music, but researchers say larger controlled studies are needed. Future research will use standardized measures of well-being and burnout to determine whether the reported improvements came directly from the music intervention.

Bonakdarpour and his team are also examining whether restorative music could benefit patients with Alzheimer's disease. Those studies may help researchers understand whether the same approach has applications beyond health care workers.

The findings suggest that a short period of restorative music may give health care workers a useful opportunity to slow down and recover during demanding days. The intervention requires little active effort, which may make it easier to fit into clinical settings.

While more research is needed, the reported increase in energy and improvements in mood offer a useful starting point for studying music as a workplace wellness tool.