As someone who spends 90% of his time with some sort of music in his environment, it is safe to say I am well acquainted with the various reactions the human body can have to different music. You could say that all music does the same, but when you hear a violin playing in real time the hair on your neck stands up and you can just feel the music so deeply. In the last year I have come to realize that music is much more than just something we listen to or sing along to. Music is emotional and powerful, it can be the biggest, loudest, most gut-wrenching sound you’ve ever heard. or it could be the smallest, quietest, whisper, that only some can hear. Though to most music is a simple thing we enjoy, it can be so much more than that. Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep, mood, and memory. Different receptors in our brain act differently as we listen to music: The Nucleus Accumbens which is partly responsible for the release of ‘happy chemicals’ releases dopamine when you’re listening to music, the Temporal Lobe is responsible for processing what we hear–without your temporal lobe you wouldn’t enjoy music, you’d just listen without any feeling. Other parts of the brain like the Amygdala connect us to music emotionally, this is why one could get emotional listening to certain music. The Amygdala works alongside the Hippocampus–the memory retriever–to connect certain songs or sounds to a part of your past, but what do all these fancy things have in common? All of these come together to create the experience that really is music, which is now being studied as a possible form of therapy. Music therapy has been proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses, as well as help Dementia or Alzheimer's patients recover parts of their memory: All by listening to music that we connect to. Personally, music has been a way for me to just fade into my own little reality, and find a little distraction for anything that may be bothering me at the time. I’ve used it to keep myself calm and relaxed, to focus, and to improve my mood and mental state. Music is easily available to all of us, so take advantage of that. Music has helped me through various big moments in my life: a breakup, moving across a continent, bad days, and simpler everyday things: studying for that big test, walking home, while at work. Music has the power to not only connect us to ourselves, but to bring people closer. Anytime you listen to music from now on, I encourage you to think about how that music makes you feel. Are you happy? Does this remind you of something? Someone? Text that person a lyric from the song and tell them you miss them, show your friend a song you think they’ll like, and most importantly, notice how lyrics, and songs can always connect to us.
Mateo M
16 Comments
Social connections are for people. However, with all friendships and relationships we make, many emotions come along with it including the feeling of “missing”. The official definition from Google for the word missing is, “not present; absent or lost”. But why do we even feel the emotion of missing? When we miss someone, it means that we really care about them and value them. You can miss someone for many different reasons. Maybe, you miss someone who passed away, someone who was once a close friend, or simply someone who has moved away. I am an international student visiting from Frankfurt, Germany. I said good bye to my family, my friends and my dog. I wanted to come to Canada to experience new things and create new memories. Here I have found new friends and a wonderful second family. Despite all the good, there is still a huge part missing. Not having certain special people in your life can hurt or can even make you feel empty. It feels like a part of you is lost or stuck somewhere else. Sometimes it is a constant feeling (especially when the "wounds" are fresh) and sometimes the emotion comes in unexpected waves. It can be triggered by simple things like food, songs, smells, or other random things that reminds us of this person. It is not just a feeling or something in your head, it is also expressed physically. You can get headaches or stomach pains easily, or maybe you just feel exhausted. You can have sleep problems, and your thoughts keep you awake, or you do not have the energy or motivation to get up and experience the day without this person. Missing someone can also affect your appetite or your ability to concentrate. For me personally, it also feels like a huge weight on my shoulders and pressure on my heart. Furthermore, scientists proved that the resulting stress reduces the immune system functions which means you can get sick easier. It is okay to feel all this emotion, and it is not a bad thing at all. It shows how important this person is to you and that you want to have them in your life. This is actually a beautiful thing.
Even though, it is important to accept this feeling and not push it away, you should try not to get hung up on it. It does not mean you should not think about them, recall memories or talk to them, if that is even possible. However, it is important to not overthink or drown in memories because the goal is to feel better, and not to feel hurt or sad. You can try out new things, get distracted and meet new people. You can also write them a letter; tell them you miss them or meditate. I would recommend talking about this emotion with someone. Sharing feelings, helps me personally to take some weight off my shoulders. And most importantly: always remember this feeling of “missing” will not last forever! Laetitia As a young kid, I had always loved and admired animals. Although I had never had a pet or any knowledge of how to care for one, I still adored them. Four years ago, I had gotten a horse to further my riding career as I fell in love with the sport. She was the first animal that I was ever responsible for. She helped me grow in so many aspects of my life from my confidence to my physical skills, and many things in between. Looking back on those years, it still astonishes me how much a fifteen hundred pound animal that doesn't speak English, can teach things I didn't realize about myself. It was only recently that I had finally, after years of asking, adopted my first puppy. I love him dearly, but having a dog is a lot of work. Work that pays off in the end. Two years ago when I was fourteen years old, I had read a flyer in a local coffee shop, looking for volunteers to help at a therapeutic riding association. One look at the title and I was instantly captivated until the fine print stated there was an age requirement of sixteen years old. Since then I couldn't wait till I turned sixteen to finally volunteer here. But of course, we are living in a covid era. Who would have thought? Anyway, I applied to volunteer at the same place I had seen the flyer back during the holiday break and was stoked to start which was postponed until later this year. The big factor that influenced this decision years ago was that this equine therapeutic association was created for kids with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. The amount of power a horse could have to teach these kids to not only learn about the animal itself but to grow and learn about themselves. For these kids, horses teach them physical, psychological, social skills that other activities can not. I continue to love volunteering here, learning each story of the kids that ride here inspires me. This is the website where I volunteer, for more information on therapeutic riding, visit this page. Physical benefits can include:
Here are four of ten things many different animals can teach us about being human according to Psychology today:
My experiences with working with many different animals and people have taught me more about them and even more about myself. As Well as volunteering with animals and people alike, learning from animals can teach us about the ways of being human that we can forget at times. Madison |
Categories
|