Musical Health: An Essential Part of Wellbeing
Holistic healthcare considers the whole person, including their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. This approach acknowledges that dimensions of health are interlinked, influencing one another and a person’s overall experience of health.
A quick search on ‘musical health’ brings up important research about how music supports health, including how it can lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, stimulate the immune system, reduce pain perception, and more. Continue to scroll, and you will find information on how music also supports our emotional health.
Music for Music’s Sake
But what about how music can support our musical health? Yes, you read that right. Our musical health relates to how we experience and engage with music, as well as our musical identity. We engage our musical health when we listen to, create, and discuss music. Our musical health is activated when we play an instrument, sing, dance, or create new songs or melodies. Note that musical health is an important part of every person. You don’t have to be a ‘musician’ to have a strong need for musical wellbeing in your life. Here are some more examples of when you might experience your musical health:
Listening to a song that expresses how you feel at full volume
Making up a silly song while doing chores or putting your kids to bed
Cooing and babbling with a baby
Reminiscing about songs you loved in high school
Putting music on while you meditate or exercise
Nurturing your Musical Self
We all have a musical self that needs to be nurtured, just as we have a physical self, an emotional self, a spiritual self. Our musical health is connected to all of our health dimensions, and is also a dimension in its own rite. Consider the best and worst points in your life. What was your engagement with music like at those times? Ask yourself about your favorite songs, whether you played instruments, and how and if you incorporated music in your daily life. Often, we find that our health is bolstered by listening to and participating in music - and that a lack of music in our lives can indicate times of struggle.
Being present with music is one of the best ways to nurture your musical self, whether that is through listening, dancing, singing, breathing, or creating. Explore new ways of music participation, like joining an online community choir or adding music to your stretching routine. And stay tuned for more on how to care for this part of yourself.