For many people who suffer with poor mental health, it takes more than only antidepressants or speaking to a counsellor in a therapy room to ease their anxiety or lift them out of a depressive state.
In several cases, they need both medication and talking therapies, but there is a lot to be said for holistic care as well, taking care of their physical, social and spiritual well-being, which, in turn, will ease their symptoms.
For instance, singing could really improve someone’s mood and bring them out of a negative state of mind.
Kate Valentine, founder of Singing Mamas, which aims to improve women’s emotional wellbeing through singing, said music has many therapeutic benefits.
Speaking with Stylist, she noted that singing regulates breathing and heart rate, as well as calms down the body’s nervous system.
It reduces the stress hormone cortisol and produces oxytocin, the hormone for love.
Ms Valentine, who is a registered nurse, quoted a study from the British Journal of Psychiatry, which revealed nearly three-quarters of women who participated in group singing for ten weeks recovered from postnatal depression.
“As an intervention, it is faster and more effective than the standard NHS treatments,” the mother-of-four stated.
She noted that as well as the physiological benefits of singing, it can help people form social bonds when they join a group, while they can also improve their relationship with their children by singing to them.
Additionally, exercise is well-known to improve your mental health for a multitude of reasons, including increasing mental alertness and boosting energy.
According to the Mental Health Foundation: “Participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety.”
It also relieves stress and tension, improves focus, boosts energy, helps to create friendships when joining sports groups, and increases self-worth.
