Top 10 Reasons Why Singing is Good for you
Article by Bhavana Narayan, August 26, 2013
What do you do when you are happy?
What do you do when you are excited? What do you do when you are not so happy?
How do you express your emotions? Emotions are the subtleties of the human mind
and psychology. They form the basis for thought and expression. Our emotions
and how we express them make us who we are. Okay that’s enough talk about
emotions! Back to the question! What are the ways we express our emotions? It
is through art, through visual and performing arts. Be it dance or music. Music
always has a special place in every person’s heart. It makes you sway, it makes
you dance, it moves you and touches your soul! Music is rightly called as ‘food
for the soul’. And when we are vocal with music, then it’s even better!
Singing is a natural art form, where
you use your vocal chords to express yourself. It’s an inborn, natural musical
instrument that every human is gifted with. All you need is a sense of
frequencies and rhythms, for it to show up. Many times, aren’t you caught
unawares, when you sing something along without realizing it, when you’re in
the shower or when you cook etc.? That’s the effect of singing. It’s as if
you’re singing a lullaby to yourself! You are happily crooning, without even
realizing it! You can sing practically anywhere! While you’re driving, while at
school, college, work, in the shower, just about anywhere! Now let’s try
and answer another question! Why sing? Because it makes you feel good about
yourself. It releases a host of ‘feel good’ endorphins that can make you feel
very refreshed. You don’t have to be a professional singer to sing! It’s
totally okay to just sing! Go easy on the intricacies! You don’t have to sound
good, necessarily, when it is just a hobby. Think of it as a source of
recreation, and then things will fall into place. But please do not think of it
as a waste of time! That’s totally the wrong idea! The kind of satisfaction and
peace that it can give you! Well, you have to experience it yourself! This
article talks of ten reasons why singing is good. Actually, I can give you
plenty more! Nevertheless, read and discover that an act as simple as singing
can do wonders to you!
10. Can help prolong life
Are you aware that healthy and happy
singing is the key to a longer life? Once again, you need not be a performing
artiste for you to experience this miracle! It does not depend on how well you
sing. If you sing everyday, you can have a longer life too! Research proves
this right. Singers do have a greater life expectancy than most average adults.
If you croon everyday, knowingly or unknowingly, you’re adding more days to
your life. You will realize the benefit of this in the long run.
9. Boosts memory
Using music and singing as tools for
better memory is not unheard of! This is what our ancestors practiced. You
remember the lyrics. You remember the notes. You keep a track of the pitch and
the rhythm. All this involves the use of memory, involuntarily. With more of
such use, your memory improves. Music helps us remember better, and also more
easily. This is especially true with children. Not only that, pronunciation and
mnemonics improve too. Studies have found that people with dementia have got
cured through singing.
8. Makes you creative
Singing, like any other art form is
about being creative. With just seven fundamental harmonic frequencies and
eight octaves, music is ad infinitum! There are umpteen possibilities to sing a
song differently. In the end you sound different, and this is being creative.
You explore a multitude of options to sing. It’s as if your mind and vocals go
on a roller coaster ride! Singing is a creative pursuit, where you discover
yourself and devise newer methods of expression.
7. Good health and well being
Singing and good health are
synonymous. Singing has similar effects on the body and mind, like Yoga. It
ensures well being: physical, mental, psychological and social. It improves the
posture and breathing. There’s no better breathing exercise, than singing. It
increases the capacity of the respiratory system. It improves immunity, so
you’ll be less likely to get infected by diseases, when you sing. Basically,
singing is an aerobic activity that increases oxygen flow to the body.
6. Healing effects
Apart from time, it is music that
heals. The healing effects of music on the mind and the soul are very well
known. When you are sad you listen to music. It makes you feel better in no
minute! Singing fills the brain with healthy chemicals, so you end up feeling
good when you sing. Singing is a mood lifter. It has therapeutic effects.
When you sing, you are always in a good mood. It evokes positive
emotions. There is no room for gloom!
5. A way to express yourself
Singing is the most natural form of
expression. You don’t have to carry any instrument! You can stand or sit right
where you are and sing. It is a way to communicate, creatively and effectively.
You can show yourself through the way you portray and paint your emotions,
through your singing. Singing is a free and uninhibited channel to express
yourself. It gives you a feeling of liberation. “Music is what feelings sound
like”
4. Connects you to people
When you sing, it is not only you
who can feel the emotions, but also the audience who listen to you. They sway
to your tunes. It touches their hearts too! Singing brings you closer to more
number of people. Through your music, you can reach out to practically anyone
in the world, for music transcends everything! Singing is great for a community
life. It increases the bonding between people and makes a society healthy, in
terms of culture and morals.
3. The greatest stress buster!
Music is the best and the greatest
stress buster! Singing can make you ‘be in the moment’, helping you forget all
else. You forget all your worries and sorrow. You forget the world, you forget
yourself! It can help reduce fear, hopelessness, anxiety, depression and
insecurity. All negative emotions that pull you down will be gone in seconds if
you sing! It is nature’s way of helping you feel good, and it’s in your own
control! It increases confidence and builds self-esteem and hence, you will
never feel low! It reduces feelings of isolation. Sing everyday, and keep
stress at bay!
2. Makes you a better person
With everything positive, singing
ought to make you a better person. No angst, no regret, no feelings grudge,
betrayal and anger! Yes, vicious thoughts do affect your mind when you feel let
down or when you feel that injustice has prevailed. But unfortunately, we
cannot always hope for things to happen how we want them to! We aren’t always
lucky. Sometimes, you need to brace yourself for changes. You have to accept
things as they come. There are few things we cannot control, and it is best to
let go of them.
When you start singing, you stop
worrying about all the unnecessary stuff. Your positive side is at its peak.
Say goodbye to the devil!
1. Makes you happy- sing for joy!
Nothing can make you happy the way music
can! The best reason to sing is that it makes you feel fabulous and fantastic!
It adds zest to your life. Singing is for enjoyment. It greatly enhances the
quality of your life. Sing for the pure delight of it, for the inexplicable yet
mesmerizing joy of it! I think the primary purpose of singing is because it
makes you happy. It keeps you free-spirited and light throughout the day.
“ The only thing better than
singing, is more singing”