Singing Is Wellness For The Mind, and Tonic For The Soul..

We’re all stressed nowadays. Whether you suffer with a diagnosed condition such as anxiety or depression, or whether every day life has your blood pressure up, your nerves frayed and your concentration nowhere to be found, singing can help you.

More and more people are being diagnosed with mental health problems and are suffering poor emotional wellbeing. This has been stigmatised for a long time, I think because it’s frightening, and people do not understand what ‘mental health’ really means in reality. Some mental health problems come and go, similar to the common cold, others are more permanent like diabetes, others are quite serious but they do go away, like breaking a leg. Just like physical health problems, mental health and emotional stability issues range drastically in their manifestation. Just like everybody gets physically sick from time to time, it is to be expected that you will be mentally or emotionally unwell from time to time. Stress is a huge contributing factor to our emotional wellbeing in this day and age, and effects everyone, including children. If you are reading this and you have not been stressed about something or other recently, I envy you; you are the minority 🙂

Mental health and general stress related problems are commonplace. They are mundane, everyday, banal and ordinary; and just like the common cold, the vast majority of people get it from time to time. I do not mean to say what people suffer is mundane – far from it. All I’m saying is we should not be so afraid to talk about it, as it’s very very common.

How Singing Can Help…

Breathing..

Singing has wonderful benefits for anxiety and generalised stress as the breathing technique required for singing increases oxygenation of the blood. Breathing techniques have long been used to help cope with general stress and anxiety and even to treat anxiety attacks. Practicing breathing techniques with another positive purpose supports this. This can also be a benefit to people suffering with depression and physical stress related symptoms. Try this short breathing video for just thirty seconds (you can carry on if you have time)..

Endorphins…

Singing releases endorphins – those happy chemicals we get when sitting in the sunshine, eating chocolate and spicy food (yes and the other thing) – these natural highs are wonderful for lifting mood and helping people suffering with depression, as part of a program of treatment. Sing along with The Big Igloo Band singing ‘Dance The Night Away’ by The Mavericks, and have a bit of a giggle!

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Socialising..

Homo Sapiens (that’s you and me and everyone else too:) are social animals. People suffering with stress, or depression or anxiety can regularly feel cut off from people, or to use the technical term ‘socially isolated’. Singing in a choir, or other vocal group, can introduce people to making new friends with a common interest, help you feel part of something, and have a reason for getting together with people to do something constructive. Contributing towards something creative can give individuals an immense sense of satisfaction and fulfilment also. Some research has shown that people singing together in a choir can even synchronise heartbeats, giving us a deep, primal connection to other human beings evolution says that we all need to be well in our herd.

I have been to both sides of this equation with the people I have worked with. I have worked in the health sector and seen people get a great deal of benefit from the arts in general, and music in particular. I have also seen countless people come through the Igloo doors with all manner of stress and mental wellness related problems, who have gained support, made wonderful new friends, and had their moods lifted from being part of our community.

Singing is wellness for the mind and tonic for the soul.

Take good care of yourselves.

DiElle

Categorised in: Choir, Health and Wellbeing, Singing