Let the Music Heal Your Soul -- No Really

How often do you listen to music? When was the last time you listened to live music and danced, or perhaps a sad melody and thought of all those heartaches?

We are living in an unfamiliar and strange time, COVID-19 forces us to minimize our interaction with others and binds us to our homes. Due to the current pandemic (COVID-19/coronavirus), our suicide rate has gone up and so has the rate of people who have had suicidal thoughts. "In 2019, 2.5% of Canadians had suicidal thoughts, due to the effects of the pandemic (COVID-19), 2020 May, 1 in 20 or 6% Canadians are having suicidal thoughts/feelings."

As human beings, we are social animals and we enjoy our free. We may or may not enjoy or choose to be with other people, depending on our personality, but we definitely enjoy the "option" and "freedom" of being able to network with people. Sometimes we prefer to be alone, other times we prefer to travel in groups, but with the pandemic, we are being strapped and trapped -- or at least that is how we feel at the moment. When we feel trapped or lonely, we feel irritated, our emotions are down, and we may start to get negative thoughts, as we are not able to socialize -- depending on how good you are at coping and adapting with changes, or perhaps how optimistic you are. But for those of you experiencing the low, did you know music can help you?

Music, according to Google is a noun for "vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion"; or, according to Merriam-Webster, "1a : the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity. b : vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony choral music piano music recorded music."

If you haven't heard, there's a type of therapy called "music therapy", which is a "clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program" and "music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals"

I have never tried music therapy myself with a music therapist, but I understand how we are fairly easily influenced by music. I won't go into the details of it, as this is just an intro to the idea music can help us, but do you remember the feeling of listening to music and simply being relaxed by it? Or perhaps how you sing unconsciously when you are happy or when alone simply because?

Music is a very natural way of expression for us and it is also an international language, where no means of words are needed for people to communicate their emotions with others.

Music can be you listening to people singing or instruments playing, perhaps you singing or playing instruments, but there is also one more type, the sound of nature. The sound of nature can be the wind blowing, grass wrestling, whispering leaves, a stream burble, a river babble, or perhaps crickets singing and owls hooting at night.

Regardless of what kind of music you personally enjoy, what is most important is you can relax and breathe when you listen to the music of your choice. You should be able to destress and let go of whatever negative thoughts and bring your inner self back to a calm balance.

Music can help you to cope with this crazy world and it can help you to relax, all you have to do is have an open mind and be willing to give it a try.

Now, give it a try:

Relaxing Soul Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOyXoATjwR4kL2TFOqFMrQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3QDMr_7tTc

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Disclaimer: This isn't a professional post on the topic of music therapy, for professional information, please contact your healthcare provider.

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Resources

https://cmha.ca/news/warning-signs-more-canadians-thinking-about-suicide-during-pandemic

https://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/science-choice/201908/music-emotion-and-well-being%3famp

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/science-choice/201908/music-emotion-and-well-being

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOyXoATjwR4kL2TFOqFMrQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3QDMr_7tTc