Music and Mental Health
It has been generally accepted that both listening to and creating music can have various positive effects on mood and mental health. Incorporating music into your everyday life can help to:
- elevate your mood and motivation
- aid relaxation
- increase the efficiency of your brain processing.
Music and poetry help you maintain your wellbeing
- Focus. Music helps you focus. Music that has a tempo of 60 bpm (beats per minute) increases the efficiency of the brain in processing information. Bluegrass has a beat higher than that, helps your mind to feel better.
- Expression. Creating your own music – whether simply strumming a guitar or composing lyrics to a song – can help you express and process your emotions. It’s more about how it makes you feel, than how it sounds. Remember that no one ever has to hear your music if you don’t want them to.
- Social connection. Music can stop you from feeling lonely or isolated. When joining our gatherings you meet like-minded people. Music connects people.
- Creativity. Making music allows your brain to think creatively. We support acoustic music of any kind, but leave the drums at home. Try out different types of acoustic music and see what works best for you.
- Relaxation. Music helps you to relax. When you listen to acoustic music, your anxiety level goes down and your happiness level goes up.
- Motivation. Use music to start your day. Incorporate music into your routine, listen to upbeat songs and let music help you accomplish tasks you find difficult.
- Inspiration. When you see your peers performing music or receiting poetry, you will likely feel inspired. Your self-esteem will grow when you write songs or poetry in a group and perform the work to a supportive audience.
Music: Reducing Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are common mental health issues that affect 1 in 6 Australians in any given year. In New Zealand, 1 in 5 people are affected by mental illness every year. Fortunately, there are ways to manage these conditions, and one of the most accessible is the power of music.
Music has a powerful effect on our emotions and can improve our mood, reduce stress levels, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
Listening to and creating music can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to calm the body and reduce stress responses. Furthermore, listening to music has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone called cortisol, in the body, which can contribute to a sense of relaxation and well-being. this effect is amplified, when you are making music or when you are singing.
