There is a growing field in Music Therapy, an established health profession, that is using music to heal. I doubt that it’s news to you that music can be therapeutic; we’ve all listened to love songs to nurse a broken heart, or blasted the stereo to change our mood. Studies have shown that music is an effective treatment for both physical and emotional issues. But music therapy takes it a step further from just ‘listening’ to being more actively involved and encourages the creation, singing, moving to AND/or listening of music to cure what ails you.
Music therapy and depression go hand in hand; it is one of those ailments where music can work miracles. Research shows that music affects brain waves, breathing and heart rate as well as your state of mind. One of the many things you can do to help cure your depression could be to start learning an instrument, you could even teach yourself piano or any instrument that interests you.
How Music Therapy Helps Depression:
As mentioned above, music has been shown to stimulate brainwaves to sync with the beat. They’ve noted the faster beats bring sharper concentration and more alert thinking whereas a slower tempo promotes a calm, meditative state. They’ve also noted that the change in brainwave activity levels actually allows your brain to shift speeds more easily on its own even after you’ve stopped listening.
Since music can alter brainwaves and ultimately your breathing and heart rate, it has been proven to counteract or prevent the effects of chronic stress. This ultimately changes your state of mind and brings on a more positive state of mind which aids in helping to keep depression and anxiety at bay. Moods improve which directly affect your health. It’s the perfect domino effect started simply by flipping a switch on your stereo.
Depression and hopelessness can spiral out of control quickly and easily if there is no pattern interrupt; music can be the perfect pattern interrupt because it gets you out of your head and back into the world. It makes your mind work (if you are learning and/or playing an instrument) or it helps calm your mind if you are constantly stressing or wrapped up in your sadness.
The hardest part when you are feeling depression from loneliness or another cause is to be able to break that pattern yourself. If you have the knowledge to do so, however, and you know that the benefits and results are immediate and almost magical, I think you’ll find that you’ll soon train yourself to turn on that song or go play the piano (or your instrument of choice) whenever the blues start to creep in.
Benefits of Music Therapy:
While there are many ways to alleviate depression, the benefits of music therapy have been profound; it is really not a shocker that music therapy as a profession is growing in popularity due to the results seen. Music therapists are now being called in to hospitals for pain management, stress management, depression and more.
However, you do not need a therapists in order to reap the benefits of music therapy; you can easily use music in your daily routine to aid in relaxation, to gain energy and motivated if you are feeling tired or depressed, to help you heal from that broken heart or other emotional stress you might be experiencing.
Music has also been used to improve cognition and focus, I have received numerous comments and thank yous from people who use my piano music to study or sleep and that they find it helps them get their work done even faster and that they retain more. People with migraines or sleep issues have also told me it works wonders.
And who hasn’t turned on the music when you have an annoying task or chore you have to get done but have no motivation to do? Somehow, music magically can change your mood and get you moving. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that a happy person who is up and busy is going to have a far healthier mindset and body than one who is sitting melancholy on the couch – so…….why are you still here, reading this? Go LISTEN TO SOME TUNES!!!
Or do you really need more proof, more music therapy articles telling you that music is awesome and can heal you? How about instead you tell me what kind of music you need to help you. Leave me a comment below or contact me personally if you just don’t know what to listen to. Do you need heart pumping heavy metal, or do you want something calm and relaxing?
Is your body aching? Or is it your heart? Do you have migraines or insomnia? Or are you just NOT wanting to go do your homework? What are your reasons for depression?
Please, let me know 🙂 I’m happy to help match your need with the right kind of music therapy to help.
If you want to know how to cure depression naturally…try music first!
Your Friend,
Kat
NurturingYourBody.com
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