Music Therapy: How Music Improves Mental Health

By Guest Blogger Marie Miguel

There are a lot of things that you can do to improve your mental health at home. One of the things that many people do not consider is music therapy. There are five different types of music therapy that are used in psychiatric settings, and you can make use of all of them on your own at home. Music plays an important role in mental health. You may have noticed that when you listen to certain songs they calm you down when you are anxious or lift your mood when you are depressed. But this is just one part of music therapy.

Lyric analysis is one way that you can use music to help your mental health. Some songs have powerful lyrics that can bring to mind certain situations that you may be trying to overcome. One particular song may be describing the way you feel right at this moment. Breaking down the lyrics of such songs and thinking about how they apply to your life or your feelings or current mood can really help you work through issues and get back on track.

Playing music can also boost your mental health. There have been many studies that show that playing a music instrument, even poorly or by improvisation, can help you boost your mood and improve cognitive ability. If you can’t play an instrument, singing has also been proven to boost mood and relieve anxiety.

Of course, just listening to music can help you boost your mood and feel better. Different people listen to different types of music to boost their mood. In fact, one type of music may not be appropriate for every mood that you are in. You may have different playlists for different moods or situations that cause anxiety or trigger depression. Upbeat music is usually recommended to boost mood, while soothing slower music is generally recommended for anxiety. However, you can mix it up and listen to whatever music does the most for your mood based on your preferences.

Finally, songwriting is a great way to use music to boost your mental health. Writing songs can help you process your emotions, thoughts, and feelings. If you aren’t good at making up your own melodies, you can make up your own lyrics to melodies that you already know.

Of course, music alone will not maintain the balance of mental health if you are suffering from anxiety or depression. There are a lot of other ways that you can boost your mental health. One great resource is BetterHelp.com. Better Help offers a lot of advice on things you can do to improve your mental health. They also offer online therapy by phone, text, online, or video chat. You can access their advice and therapists any time of the day or night, seven days per week. If you are suffering from anxiety or depression and music therapy alone is not helping, contact Better Help today for more information or to get started with online therapy.

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.