Do you remember
When Rihanna sang “Please Don’t Stop the Music (Rihanna, 2005)”?
Every time she performs you feel the musical notes vibrating through your body.
Whenever you hear a song you just want to jump up and dance.
Have you ever wondered why?
Research suggests that music stimulates various parts of the brain and bodily responses, including the release of stress hormones” (Stevenson et.al, 2023).
So, don’t be alarmed, it’s just your body saying “Hey, I love this song!!”
During moments of crisis your mind needs an outlet to vent.
Music is an intervention itself that has been used for centuries to captivate the human mind.
Music has been known to improve behavior, pain tolerance, and decrease levels of stress.
Music is one of the most cost effective ways to treat individuals with mental and physical health issues.
Music is an intervention that has no age limit and can be easily complemented with another intervention.
Like what you may ask?
How about Zumba?
Zumba is a form of aerobic dance exercise similar to Jazzercise (Zumba, 2023).
Millions of people practice this physical activity to enhance their overall health.
Music has a magical way of attracting people to exercise.
There is even a career as Music therapist.
According to the American Music Therapy Association, “Music interventions have been known to
(1) Promote Wellness
(2) Manage Stress
(3) Alleviate Pain
(4) Express Feelings
(5) Enhance Memory
(6) Improve Communication
(7) Promote Physical Rehabilitation (AMTA, 2005)”.
If you’re an introvert like me, I recommend lighting some candles, making a bubble bath, and play your favorite playlist.
Sometimes having too many people around can be overstimulating, and there is nothing wrong with wanting some alone time.
Music can physically affect the human body.
The Mayo Clinic reports that, “music has been shown to decrease anxiety, decrease blood pressure, decrease pain symptoms, elevate mood, improve quality of life and slow heart rate (Mayo Clinic, 2023)”.
Have you tried expanding your musical tastes?
Since music is so universal and easy to access, you can look into other genres.
For example, try listening to Colombian cumbia or even classical music.
Two completely different rhythms affecting how your brain processes musical notes.
The human brain is an extremely complex organ and its level of sensitivity varies from person to person.
So when you are feeling down, it is perfectly natural to want to isolate yourself.
The key is not to fall into a deep level of isolation.
What does that mean?
If your friend invites you to go out, go and enjoy yourself.
Sometimes you need a little nudge of motivation.
A study done in 2019 found that “college students who listened to classical music every day for two months lowered their levels of anxiety significantly (Frost, 2023)”.
Young adults use music to get through their stressful routine.
For example, playing music while you are driving after having a difficult day at school.
This teaches individuals that there is a positive way to express themselves without falling into negative coping mechanisms.
Negative coping mechanisms are unhealthy habits that one does to get over a stressful situation.
These habits can range from consuming illicit drugs, overeating and drinking alcohol excessively.
In conclusion, no matter what age you are, try to incorporate music into your lifestyle routine.
Whether it be singing in the shower or joining the church’s choir, music can definitely improve your mood.
Just remember to practice self care and seek help from a professional when needed.
Like Rihanna said “Shine bright like a diamond(Bianco et. al, 2012)”.
This post was written by Jasmine P., and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
Live in New York and want to learn more about working with us? Check us out here!
Check out more content like this here.
