Blogger: SkullantacySmith

INTRODUCTION

Music is everywhere, and it's no secret that it is one of the many things I love in this crazy life. We find it in the supermarkets and the shops. It's in the movies and television shows we watch. Nature even has its own music, which it sings every day. We can't escape it!

However, did you know it can also have a positive effect on our mental health as well? No? Well, let me be your guide—as cringy as that may sound—in how we can use music to better our mental well-being.

HOW MUSIC MOVES US

In essence, music has been used for millennia to soothe the soul and as a tool to express emotions. The earliest songs were those passed down aurally to tell stories, which then morphed over time into what we have today. I could go into the history of music, but we don't have all day, and there's plenty of time to explore that later as much as I love a good musical info dump.

To fully understand how music affects our mental health, we must first decipher how music moves us. Let's play a game. I would like you to think of a song. It could be your favourite song, a song that makes you think of someone or the song you're listening to while you are reading this. It doesn't matter. Once you have a song in your head, I want you to identify how it makes you feel. Is there a memory you associate with it? Why does it make you feel that way? (Share your own in the comments. I would love to hear

Music makes us feel something. It doesn't matter whether it is an emotion or reminds us of someone or something—good, bad or anything in between. It can move us in the strangest ways, even bringing some of us to tears. The reasons are ours alone.

Personally, there are songs that I love and songs that I cannot stand to listen to. I have made many playlists based on different moods and themes, as I'm sure you guys have as well. Each playlist has songs I have built a picture around, whether for one of my stories or a specific memory. For example, The Middle by Jimmy Eats World reminds me of my final college performance with my band. Can We Dance by The Vamps takes me back to ten years ago when I stopped caring about what other people thought about me at school. Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash reminds me of my grandad's funeral when I was seventeen.

Music has the power to move us in many different ways through a set of notes that somehow always tug on the heartstrings. We associate music, whether we know it or not, with a time in our life that we find our way back to when that one song plays. It brings back memories and makes us feel emotions we may not have unlocked before. The experience is personal to each of us.

EFFECTS OF MUSIC ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH

Like how music can move us, the effects of music on our mental health are personal to each of us. However, they are generally positive. Recent studies suggest that music has a larger role in our lives through mood regulation. Music therapy—a type of psychotherapy that allows people to express their emotions and themselves in a safe environment—is a form of this. However, one does not need to participate in music therapy to embrace the effects it has on our mental health. The following are a few of these.

— Healing Trauma:
Many of us will experience trauma in our lives on different levels. But did you know that music can play a role in helping us to heal those traumas? Music can foster community through messages that are relatable to human experiences. Listening to music you identify with or that has messages that relate to something you have been through, allows you to process the trauma and not feel as alone on your journey to healing if someone else has been in your footsteps.

— Building Resilience:
Resilience is the scope of withstanding or recovering quickly from difficulties. Similar to how it can help to heal trauma, the positive messages of songs can help to build up your resilience and ability to bounce back from obstacles. Though it is not a sure-fire way of building resilience—other steps may need to be taken for this—it can be a start.

Song suggestions for building resilience:
Wings by Little Mix
It Could Have Been Me by The Struts
Roar by Katy Perry
Skyscraper by Demi Lovato
Fighter by Christina Aguilera
Brave by Sara Bareilles

— Empowerment:
Music has a long history of fostering empowerment through social change and advocacy of social issues. Musicians from marginalised communities, such as (but not limited to) LGBTQ+, ethnicity-related or religious backgrounds, often write songs that mirror what is happening in the world. It both informs listeners, as well as gives them the boost they need to combat the issues of today which can often feel hopeless.

HOW TO USE MUSIC TO HELP YOU

Other than the main ways we have mentioned, did you know there are other ways music can help you and your mental health? In this section, we are looking at how music can help you in other areas of your life.

Productivity
I often use music in the background when I am writing or doing chores. Studies suggest classical music is the best for this, although many can listen to songs with lyrics for both. To share my process of boosting my productivity through music, I often go for classical Lofi playlists on YouTube for writing, graphic designing or assignment-based work which helps me to concentrate. For chores, I play an album I have been wanting to listen to for ages whilst I put laundry away, organise my desk space, etc. I can listen to the lyrics whilst doing mundane tasks, which makes this the best way to consume albums if you are stretched for time.

Background Music
Building on the last point, most of the time I put music on in the background. For background music, I prefer classical because I am not focused on the lyrics. However, if you have a moment of peace to yourself, I suggest playing some music while lying or sitting still and allowing yourself to listen to it.

Sleep Music
Alongside background noise, such as rainfall or thunderstorms, I use music to help me to sleep. I use HeadSpace for this and to improve my mental health. However, there are free apps and background noise you can find on YouTube, Spotify or other areas online. If you struggle to sleep, try some sleep music or some background noise to help you, especially if you too cannot stand the silence of the night.

Commuting & Roadtrips
I cannot go anywhere without listening to music when commuting or travelling. It is a sacred time for me to relax and unwind before and after a long day at work. This is a part of my daily routine when I am going places. If you have not done so, try listening to music to settle your anxiety before going to work or school—the Monday scaries are always the worst!

Soundtrack of Your Life
I consider music to be a soundtrack to your life. Each playlist reminds me of a certain year or time of my life (I have specific playlists for different years). You can create a playlist (or more than one) that is the soundtrack to your life. Every good moment, every bad moment and everything in between. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that this becomes a therapeutic experience and, eventually, any pain you felt during those quiet hours you listened to those songs becomes a dull ache brightened by good memories.

FINAL THOUGHTS

These are only a few ways that music can help you and your mental health. If you are currently going through something, it can be the beginning of your healing journey. However, a lot of the work towards healing has to come from you.

I hope you found this blog interesting and that it helps you on whatever journey you are on. Let me know in the comments if you would like to share your own experiences with music or if you end up trying any of the above.