We’re more than a year deep into a global pandemic that, in addition to many deaths, has caused widespread isolation. As social creatures, there is nothing more damaging to our mental health than isolation. So it’s no mystery why we are currently having a significant mental health crisis across the world, with more reports of depression, anxiety, and self-harm than ever before.
It seems that music, classical music to be exact, may hold an important key to improving mental health in isolation. Backed by the scientific community, classical music works on numerous levels to help heal our broken hearts and minds.
Classical Music Validates Our Feelings
As Hazal Anna Rogers pointed out in her article on the Carl Kruse Blog, On the Wonders of Classical Music, listening to sad songs actually seems to connect with and heighten our sadness. At first blush, that seems like a bad idea, but not when you understand why that phenomenon happens. Music actually helps you connect to your feelings and process them. Our knee-jerk reaction is to push away sad feelings, but music allows us to use them to grieve and then move on.
All Music Provides Stress Relief
Neurologists have confirmed that classical music helps decrease stress and lower cortisol levels in your blood. It also helps lower your blood pressure and makes it easier to sleep. These are all wonderful and supportive things for your mental health as well.
Building Relationships Through Music
Music can give you social stimulation, even when you are alone. Think about listening to an Opera; the music is so powerful that you connect to the characters on a deep emotional level even if you can’t translate the lyrics. This connection helps mimic the feeling of social interaction and can be a valuable tool to help get you through the isolation of quarantining during a pandemic such as COVID-19.
Try listening to classical music at home, while taking a walk, or when trying to fall asleep at night. You’ll be surprised at the number of physical and mental benefits your body will start to receive.