Music is powerful. I am incredibly passionate about music and will “sing” its praises until the “hills are alive” with music. I could probably get a little cheesier about it, but I think I’ll digress. There is so much research that shows the amazing health benefits from music. I fully believe that it’s true. Music does amazing things. One of the biggest reasons it can do so much is because of the feelings that it invokes within us. There are parts of the brain that are tapped into that normally are dormant.
Recognize Those Feelings
There are so many different kinds of music. There is a million different stories and subject matter in music. There is an unknowable number of things that music can be incorporated into. It’s because music has a way of being able to deepen the emotion or striking a chord with you personally. I have been known to have specific lyrics hit me hard and cause me to become emotional. Allowing yourself to feel and address those emotions is healthy. A lot of times, it’s human nature to bottle up the emotions that make us feel vulnerable. I believe there are many times that we bottle those emotions subconsciously and we don’t even know it. There are moments when music can unearth those things and help us to recognize those emotions. True happiness really comes from being able to work through our emotions in a healthy way rather than pretending we don’t have them.
Use Music as Background
You can choose the right kind of music as a background to work through difficult emotions in different situations. Whether that be at work, during a break-up, doing work or homework, or even at a party. The music that is played makes a big difference in how you react to those situations. It can even turn what would be a negative stress into more of a positive stress. Your brain can work through the stresses and emotions of those different situations in a healthier way. Allowing you to move through them without letting them control you.
Participate in the Music
It’s one thing to listen to music, but if you can take it a step further it can make a huge difference. I have expressed some of my deepest emotions by writing songs. I love to put into words what is going on and then to add in the music to fully give depth to what I’m feeling. You don’t have to be a prodigy to be able to write a song. No one else has to hear it, and you don’t need to record anything. However, you may be surprised how liberating it is to get those feelings out.
On the other hand, there are more than one way to get personal with music. Dance is a huge way to really express deeply what you feel. It goes a long way to add movement to show pain, love, happiness, or strength. When you combine music and dance you are combining many different senses together with your feelings. Find a way to get personal with music. Not only can it help you to express your feelings but to accept them and heal if that’s what is needed.
Mel's Health and Fitness 