5 Simple Ways You Can Use Music to Improve Your Mental Health
We all know that the music you listen to can affect the way that you feel. However, did you know that you can use that to your advantage when it comes to your mental health? In this post we’ll tell you about 5 easy ways that you can use music to improve and regulate your mood, straight from principles used by music therapists!
Sing
Whether you’re an opera star, just a shower singer, or hardly sing at all, singing is beneficial for your health in many ways! Singing is a simple and powerful way to express emotions that you may have bottled up. According to the Cleveland Clinic singing can reduce muscle-tension in your body, improve your memory, enhance your communication and social skills, increase your motivation, help you manage pain, increase lung functioning, and can even lower your blood pressure! Plus, it can be fun and feels good to do. Don’t worry if you’re not classically trained, you can experience these benefits no matter how you sound. Take some time everyday to sing!
Move to Music
People who have experienced symptoms of depression know that sometimes it is hard to get out of bed and move your body. However, there are many benefits to moving at least a little everyday. On the University of Colorado’s Health and Wellness website there is a section that says: “Oftentimes, when we think of movement, we automatically associate it with a sweat-inducing workout at the gym. However…all types of movement are beneficial for our bodies and minds.” They go on to describe how movement releases endorphins that can help alleviate stress, helps emotions move through our bodies, helps us express ourselves, and can be a great coping mechanism. While it may be hard to get up and move during a mental health crisis, playing some music and rocking or dancing to it is something you can do even from your bed or couch and can help you not miss out on these meaningful benefits.
Make a Playlist to Help You Move Through Big Feelings
Have you ever listened to a song that made you feel understood? Or maybe a song that reminded you that someone else has experienced circumstances similar to yours? One of the reasons that music is such a great tool for music therapists is that it often reminds us we aren’t alone. Sometimes when we feel that we can’t adequately express how we feel, we hear a song that says it perfectly. We recommend making a playlist that first meets you where you are at in your mood and then progressively shifts into a new mood a little more with every song, bringing you to the mood that you hope to be in! For example, if you feel sad but want to feel hopeful you can start your playlist with a sad song and then add songs that grow more and more hopeful until you feel a little better. This is called the ISO principle in music therapy and is a tool music therapists often use to help people healthily move through big feelings and find emotional regulation!
Play an instrument
Learning to play an instrument or playing one that you have already learned can be a gratifying experience. It is so good for your mood and your body to take on a challenge, work at it, and succeed. Having something in your life that you do for yourself can help you feel a sense of accomplishment and have improved self-efficacy: which is your perception that you can perform a task and achieve the results that you desire. Studies have shown that playing an instrument can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is also a wonderful way to express yourself and a great activity for when you need to step back and regulate your emotions. There are so many benefits for your body as well like better coordination and motor skills. If you aren’t confident in your musical ability, don’t worry! Instruments like the recorder or ukulele are easy to pick up. You could even purchase an egg shaker or fill an empty water bottle with uncooked rice or beans and shake it along to your favorite song.
Write a Song About How You Feel
This option may seem daunting to someone who has never tried to write a song before but we encourage you to try because it is easier than it sounds! Take some time when you are feeling big emotions and just write down how you feel. It doesn’t need to rhyme or even sound poetic, it just needs to capture a little bit of what you are experiencing. You can use a melody that you already know or come up with a new one! You can even take a song that you love and adjust the lyrics to fit your situation a little better. This is a tool often used by music therapists because it is such a beneficial coping skill. Not only will you have been able to express and process how you feel, you also will have your own song that you can always go back to when you feel that way again! You could even write a daily affirmation song for yourself, specifically written to combat some of the insecurities or challenges that you face. Your song can be just a few lines or as long as you like. No one else can write the song in your heart and that is a part of what makes it so special.
There are many more ways that you can use music to benefit your mental health (as well as your physical health) and these are just a few! Tell us in the comments what other ways you’ve noticed that music helps you!
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