Music For Mental Health

Nishtha Shrestha

The power of music has been used in different ways across timelines. Tribes have used music to create a bond in the community. Messages have been communicated with the sound of the horn or the beat of the drums. From a lucrative business to a medium of solace, a common element in all the stages of the evolution of music is its ability to unite people. This can be seen in music concerts organised to raise awareness, fundraise, or encourage people to participate in a cause. The advantage of using music for these activities is that people connect to music easily, and people of all ages enjoy it. Apart from these general usages of music, attention has slowly shifted to the healing properties of music. 

Music has been an integral part of human civilisation. Our ancestors used music to deal with the emotions of everyday life. This includes people moving harmoniously to the sounds of instruments to express solidarity or sharing stories through the tunes to match their emotional state. A typical example of sound as a healing agent is evident in the religious chants we listen to or the bells ringing on the temple premises. Plenty of songs we enjoy were created to deal with moments of grief, illness, death, and pain. For example, the song Tears in Heaven was written by Eric Clapton to express the sorrow he felt losing his son due to an accident. We experience the world in a verbal and non-verbal manner. While language offers a solution to convey emotions verbally, music provides a way to express non-verbal elements of the experience.

In mental health, expressive art is an emerging field of therapy. This term incorporates the use of movement, sound, art, and storytelling to help the individual deal with issues beyond their current coping abilities. The goal of expressive arts is not to teach the individual these skills but to utilise the inclination toward any medium of expression to promote better mental health. As with any therapeutic intervention, training is needed before using the title of a music therapist. However, one can use sound for self-healing, which can take forms such as playing an instrument, chanting positive affirmations, using singing bowls to relax, or learning to hum when stressed. All these simple techniques help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which sends signals of rest and relaxation to the entire body.

Many consider mental health essential but do not take action to care for it. Partially this behaviour results from ignorance, but most of the time, it is a distrust of simple techniques.  Sound is available in different forms, yet this line of healing is not treated on par with the conventional treatment methods. We know different frequency levels impact our moods, and there are plenty of videos online to experience this for oneself. Mental health is a spectrum, and these methods are not only for those diagnosed with mental health disorders but are also suitable to handle the pressures of everyday life. Instead of neglecting our emotional needs and relying on medicines alone to tackle the effects, music is a pleasing alternative to adopt in the journey of building sound mental health.