***** DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I AM A WELL READ, CURIOUS PERSON WHO IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE FOUND THINGS THAT WORK FOR ME AND BENEFIT MY OVERALL HEALTH. I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN HEALTH. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE USELESS, BUT I DO BELIEVE AMERICAN SOCIETY HAS BECOME TOO DEPENDENT ON THEM. EVERYBODY NEEDS HELP AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THEIR LIVES, HOWEVER. WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR ANY OTHER MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, PLEASE GO TALK TO SOMEBODY. THERE IS NO SHAME IN DOING WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU!!!
Music: the vibration of emotion. This piece is going to be more of a love letter to music than anything else. Sometimes, I think about what life would be like without music. The prospect of such a world is always grim. Thinking of this kind of reality is not meant to be an exercise in depressive thoughts. The thought of a world without music is intended to be an exercise in gratefulness. Each morning when I wake up, I immediately think of one thing that I am grateful for. I have noticed that music is often the thing that I think of. Have you ever heard a song and said to yourself (or out loud), “Oh my God, I love this song!” That phrase proves to me that music is indeed divine. Two words which can be construed to have the same meaning (God & love) are often expressed when referencing music.
Website I Borrowed Image From - Click Here for beautiful quotes about music!
My earliest memory of music is listening to classic rock while riding around with my father. The Rolling Stones (who I would take over the Beatles any day), Billy Joel, Elton John, and The Eagles are a few of the artists my dad enjoyed. To this day, classic rock is one of my favorite genres. It has reached a point where I now see myself as a music junkie. Trust me when I say that I’m hopelessly addicted to music. The $11 I spend monthly on my Spotify® subscription is an expense that I NEVER question. That investment brings me mental (learning from podcasts), emotional (listening to myriad music), and physical (dancing along to the music) benefits.
Therapy: such a stigmatized word in American society. Some people think that therapy is reserved only for “crazy people.” Well, I’m here to tell you that when you are jamming out in the shower, dancing in the kitchen to some sweet tunes, or blaring music while driving around town, you are experiencing a form of therapy. According to scientific research, you’re experiencing a very effective form of it as well. Music plays an integral part in how both hemispheres of the brain communicate with one another. From the research that I’ve done, laughter is the only other way one can activate both sides of the brain simultaneously. Look for the article on laughter and its effect on mental health later this month!
Playing, or even just listening to music can make you smarter, happier, healthier, and more productive at all stages of life1. These positive effects can be experienced when just listening to music. When you move around and dance to the music, there is an added layer of benefit. Movement satisfies an ingrained biological need. Friends sometimes ask me where they should begin if they are trying to get in shape physically. My advice to them is “MOVE!” Moving our bodies, as our ancestors did without needing to think about it, has positive effects on mental health – and is a better first approach to treating mood disorders than are prescriptions2.
Science has proven that our mental, physical, and emotional health are interconnected. This is the reason I am covering physical and emotional well-being in addition to mental well-being this month. For me, you cannot talk mental health without discussing physical/emotional health as well. It is indeed a holy trinity. In the first large-scale review of 400 research papers in the neurochemistry of music, a team led by Prof. Daniel J. Levitin of McGill University’s Psychology Dept. found music both improves the body’s immune system function and reduces levels of stress3.
Music truly is divine. It is the universal language of humanity. Music can be found at the intersection of prayer, meditation, and exercise. For fellow science nerds out there, I am going to say that music is a force of nature. It’s in the same class as gravity and electromagnetism! Below I’m going to list some awesome benefits of music I attained from a very informative website. Click on my first footnote below to read more from said website!
· Music can alleviate the symptoms of many mood and mental disorders including anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia.
· Music shows promise in treating stroke, autism spectrum disorder, and Alzheimer’s.
· Music can also help with the psychological aspects of illness and can improve the quality of life in patients with cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s, and chronic pain.
· Listening to music reduces the stress experienced by patients both before and after surgery.
· Music can decrease postoperative confusion and delirium that affects some elderly patients while they’re recovering from surgery.
· Listening to positive lyrics can affect how kind and generous you will be and even how you’ll spend your money.
· Restaurant customers leave bigger tips when music with positive messages is played during their meal.
· Positive song lyrics help make people less prejudiced and fearful of those different than them.
· Office workers allowed to listen to their preferred choice of music complete tasks more quickly and come up with better ideas than those who have no control over their sound environment.
· Background music enhances performance on cognitive tasks, improves accuracy, and enables the completion of repetitive tasks more efficiently.
Music is love. Music is pain. Music is yin. Music is yang. Although I wrote this piece and put a lot of thought & emotion into it, I still feel as though I’m not doing music justice. Perhaps words will never do music justice. This dynamic is comparable to when I saw the Grand Canyon. People asked me how it was and I used words like “incredible,” “spectacular,” and “grandiose.” Even though all of those words accurately describe the Grand Canyon, I feel like I can never fully explain the sight to the point of another’s comprehension. There are some things in this world that have to be experienced in order to fully understand them. Music is one of those things. Imagine an alien coming to Earth & asking you, “What is music?” It would be VERY difficult to explain! I am so very grateful that you are a part of my life music. I love you and I truly believe that love exists because you do. Thank you so much for the full spectrum of energy you have provided me throughout my life!
As part of my Mental Health Awareness Series this month, I will be sharing ways in which I incorporate music, exercise, and dance into my life. This will allow me to simultaneously (and shamelessly) plug some local businesses! The only kava bar in Pensacola, Pacific Kava Bar (shoutout to owners Keri & Alex) hosts an “Open Mic Night” the last Friday of every month. People come together to show off their many talents. If you attend, you will see super talented people reading their poetry, doing stand-up comedy, and playing instruments. The best part? YOU can join and showcase your talents. There is no cost to participate, and Keri allows for anybody and everybody to perform. I have participated in every open mic night since January of this year. I lip sync and perform what most would call “interpretive dance” at these events. It is an incredible release and quite therapeutic! To give you an idea of what I do, check out the YouTube video below. I am lip syncing Rihanna’s “Disturbia.” I felt that this song was appropriate for Mental Health Awareness Month. And let’s be honest: who doesn’t like Rihanna? She is such a beautiful person! Do me a flavor & subscribe to my Bay Flavor YouTube channel. And tell your friends about it as well! I’ll see you at the next “Open Mic Night” on May 27th!
I want Bay Flavor to be more interactive. I want to hear from YOU! Leave a favorite song of yours in the comments section below and tell me how it affects your mental, physical, and/or emotional state. Don’t be shy and keep it Bay Flavor buddies!
Heying, H, & Weinstein, B. (2021). Medicine. A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life (pp. 62-62). Portfolio. Buy the Book Here
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