~Bailey Shawley, M.Ed, CCTS-F, Specialized Parenting & Educational Consultant
I don’t have a favorite song. I don’t have a favorite band or a favorite musical artist. If you ask me which concert was the best I’ve ever seen, I won’t be able to tell you. And yet, I wholeheartedly love music, have attended dozens of concerts, and know that music has saved me in innumerable ways on countless occasions. I often hear a word or phrase and immediately hear a song featuring it. It is not uncommon for me to wake up with a song stuck in my head, and I often feel like music plays in my head on a continuous loop throughout the day. So, why no favorites? Because I love far too many bands, musical artists, and songs to choose just one, and my answers change depending on the situation, my mood, and the weather.
So, what is it about music that makes it so beneficial? Fátima Reynolds, DJ and Music Producer and Senior Program Manager, Division of Diversity and Health Equity for the American Psychiatric Association, explores the effects music has on us in the “The Transformative Power of Music in Mental Well-Being.” As Reynolds points out, music plays a significant role in various cultures, helps shape our personal identities, impacts mood regulation, positively impacts stress, and has healing potential for people struggling with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Moreover, Reynolds explains that music therapy helps promote “a safe and supportive environment for healing trauma and building resilience while decreasing anxiety levels and improving the functioning of depressed individuals.” People who engage in music therapy and music-making activities can experience an emotional release, more successfully engage in self-reflection, and build a sense of community.
But, you don’t have to have a diagnosable mental health or substance abuse disorder to reap the benefits of listening to music, singing, or playing music. For many people, music is a healthy distraction that leads to improved relaxation. By listening to music during a stressful experience like visiting the doctor or driving home after a difficult day, we transition from a stressed state to a relaxed state more successfully and fully. According to Lorrie Kubrick, board-certified music therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital, co-director of The Katherine A. Gallagher Integrative Therapies Program, and program manager of expressive therapies at MGH Cancer Center and Mass General Hospital for Children, researchers continue to study music’s “positive impact on the psychological quality of life” but have not yet found the one most effective musical intervention or “dose” of music that works for everyone.
What we do know is that there are many ways that we can use music to positively impact our mental health and overall well-being.
- Listening to music can quiet our mind, help us release emotions, and motivate us to move more or accomplish something. It also can help us realize that we are not alone, especially if the lyrics or message of the song resonate with us.
- Playing an instrument activates both sides of the brain, which is helpful in creating healthy distractions, reducing pain, improving cognition, and having fun.
- Singing can help us express ourselves and our emotions and improve lung function. It also requires purposeful breathing, which is very helpful for grounding and being present.
- Humming is a very powerful musical activity that helps reduce stress and calm our minds. Humming improves our well-being by sending vibrations through our body to stimulate the vagus nerve and activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming us and putting to rest our fight-or-flight response.
Sound frequencies also have healing effects on the brain. As the sound waves vibrate, they reach distinct frequencies. And, musical notes are produced when sound waves vibrate at specific frequencies. When we listen to music, our brains process the various frequencies in the melody and harmony of the song. Research shows that specific frequencies impact our brainwaves: the higher frequencies in upbeat songs can stimulate the brain and trigger the release of dopamine, which is associated with joy and pleasure, while lower frequencies prompt the brain to produce alpha and theta brainwaves, which are linked to relaxation and calmness. That’s why I carefully choose the music that I play when practicing Reiki with clients: the calming and healing frequencies create a relaxing atmosphere so that clients leave the session feeling more balanced, grounded, and rejuvenated.
You don’t have to be the best singer or instrumentalist in the world to experience the positive impacts of music on your mental health and overall well-being. Just choose a song, play it, and enjoy. It’s one of the simplest acts of self-care you can pursue, and you can do it every day.
If you would like to learn more about how to practice self-care and use music to support your overall well-being, reach out to schedule an individual consultation. The initial consultation is free of charge and available in person or online to ensure we are a good fit for one another. You also can schedule a half-hour or full-hour Reiki session to experience healing frequencies while I connect with your energy to guide you toward deep relaxation and self-healing. Or, reach out to my colleague, Stacy, at Enso Counseling & Wellness, LLC, to engage in sound bath healing.
B Connecting, LLC 