Music & Self Care
We all have a unique relationship to music. We may have sung in a children’s choir growing up or been forced to take piano lessons. We may be an accomplished classical musician or a virtuoso radio listener. However close our connection with music is, we can all find ways to use it for self-care.
As a board-certified music therapist, I have an unusual relation to music as I use it everyday for my job. Music is the glue that binds together the client-therapist relationship and drives our work together. It is the medium in which goals are reached and research becomes reality. I create and use music for my clients and with my clients. Because of this, I’ve had to rediscover what music means to me. In my personal life, I’ve had to create certain boundaries with music. I do not listen to it in the car as driving is a transition time where I need space to decompress and reflect. I also do not sing professionally outside of work because I do not want to damage my vocal cords from overuse. But for some time, it had been absent in all other areas of my life, and I desperately wanted music to waltz back in to my personal life. Instead, it took a lot of work on my end to reestablish this friendship and reignite the love that brought me straight into my career. I’m still in the middle of my process, but I am enjoying life once again hand in hand with music while I rediscover how it makes me feel.
My hope is that you, too, find joy in music and explore what it means in your life.
Here are my top 5 suggestions to re-kindle your relationship with music and use it for self-care.
Listen to music
Listening to music releases dopamine in your brain. Did you know that? The chemical that gives you a pleasure and reward feeling is released while listening to music you enjoy – it really is the best drug! Self-care can mean listening to music while you rest, go on a walk, take a bath, or cook dinner. The simple act of listening to music you like in any given context can change the whole scene. Maybe you have a specific genre you turn on to energize you in the morning or help you relax and fall asleep at night. Whatever you do, try turning on music to add to the experience.
Relive your childhood
Go back to your childhood and dream about the days you sang into a hairbrush to your secret elementary school crush (was that just me?). But really, think back to those first bands or singers you fell in love with. Think about the first CDs you bought or the first artists you listened to on your iPod. Remember the joy it brought you to listen through an album on repeat as you walked home from school or drowned out the noise on the school bus. Remember those times with friends sharing songs, singing in the car, or dancing all night to a song. As you entered high school and later learned how to drive, what were you listening to? What was the most popular song on the radio when you started college or got your first job? Research shows that the strongest memories of music we have are from our adolescent and young adult years. Go back to the music that has a special place in your heart and mind and see how it makes you feel.
Move to music
There is something uniquely magical about turning on a song with a good beat. Your body inherently starts moving! You entrain to the beat, which means that something inside of you synchronizes with the external rhythms. It makes walking, running, or dancing easier to do because you are not thinking as hard about the motion. Music therapists often put this phenomenon to the test in their work in rehabilitation. People may not realize they are moving to music, which makes music such a powerful motivator. Have you ever noticed your walking match up to the pulse of music you’re listening to? Have you ever seen someone tapping their feet or hands to the beat of a song? Music can inherently motivate you to move which has unlimited benefits! Try to find music with a specific BPM (Beats Per Minute) to sync up your run or exercise with. You may find that you run or move further or faster. Put on a slower, soothing song to help increase relaxation during a mediation or yoga sequence. Have a dance party in your living room to your favorite songs just for the heck of it! No one is watching, and you may just increase your happiness after doing this! Put on some beats while you’re doing chores to make them less of a pain. Moving to music does not only benefit your body, it impacts your mind too.
Use your voice
If you are a singer in any capacity, you may know how beneficial singing is. Singing can improve your lung capacity, your diaphragm muscles, and your sense of self. Your voice is truly who you are, it is your body’s instrument. Singing can connect you to yourself on a deeper level. Take some time to hum up and down a scale and see how this makes you feel. Sing to yourself in the shower or in the car – no one is listening! Put on those favorite songs from your childhood and notice how many words you unconsciously recall. If you once sang in a choir, or if you have always wanted to, why not join a community or church choir? There is something special that happens when two or more people sing together. There are parts of your brain and body that line up with one another. Together, you are a strong force. Simultaneously, you inhale, and in unison you produce beautiful lines of music. You are one unit made up of different voices. Singing in any capacity is a wonderful thing to do for self-care. Remember, you can always sing in your car if you don’t want anyone else to hear you!
Pick up an instrument
Did you play an instrument in high school and haven’t touched it in years? Maybe it’s time to pick it up again and see how the keys feel under your fingers. When you produce a sound, where do you feel the vibrations? How does it make you feel? It can be discouraging to play an instrument without the same skills you once had; I completely know this feeling. But if we (myself included) learn to move past the skill part of an instrument and pick one up just for fun, we can experience something amazing. Playing an instrument gives you connection like no other. You are producing a sound that is resonating in the world that is not your voice, but it still is. Your body may be longing for the vibrational frequencies that are expressed from an instrument. Self-care may look like picking up a long forgotten instrument or learning a new one. If you’ve ever wanted to try playing an instrument, I would highly encourage you start now. Music teachers are always looking to inspire and teach new students. They are excited at the prospect of igniting a passion in someone else. Playing or learning an instrument for fun can be an instrumental part of self-care. You may even consider joining a community band or orchestra to play your instrument with a group of like-minded people.
As I mentioned above, I have a unique relationship with music and have had to rediscover music in my personal life. The first time I picked up my flute after not playing it for years, I started crying. It was the voice I forgot I had which I neglected for years on end. Sure, my skills are not what they used to be, but playing flute is much more than practicing a scale or preparing a solo. Playing flute for me is remembering my voice and feeling the connection to something that was part of my life for years. Feeling the vibrations of the notes woven beautifully on a white or cream colored page makes my soul feel connected to all of the people past and present playing the same exact piece. I am using music for self-care once again, helping my body, mind, and soul. I encourage you to do the same. I would love to hear what you’re doing with music for self-care. Let me know what music means to you, and if any of these suggestions made an impact in your life!
