Reasons To Sing When Depressed

Ever get discouraged or depressed?

If you were honest and answered “yes” (at least the discouraged part), read on.

If not, read anyway because you might be able to help someone else who has trouble with depression and discouragement.

When you are depressed, the last thing you want to do is sing, right?

But that is the time YOU NEED TO SING THE MOST!

No way, you say?  That’s stupid or lame?

I know, I know, I’ve been there, I’ve done that.

There have been days when I have not wanted to get out of bed for anything. I hate those times, don’t you?

But you are reading this because you want help.  You’re reading this because you need answers, and I have them for you.

For example, a recent lesson I gave to Susan, a wonderfully talented woman from Los Angeles who came to me because she had not been able to find an answer for her vocal problems, demonstrates what I’m saying. Her main problem with her voice was a very tight tongue, and she had been unable to find relief from the distress and yes, the internal depression that it caused her.  She had gone to many other voice teachers before she found my original SingBabySing Voice tips on YouTube from and thought that I seemed pretty different than the other voice teachers she had worked with.  Turns out, of course, that I was!  She had a breakthrough after only 2 lessons.  You can hear what she has to say about it at Free Voice.

I actually call myself “whacky” because I definitely challenge people to sing outside their boxes and stretch them to overcome what they think are their limitations. But there is a method to my madness which has a serious outcome, the IMPROVEMENT OF YOUR VOICE!

Here are 5 reasons to keep singing when life gets you down and you feel depressed.  There are more, to be sure, but let’s tackle these first:

1. Scientific studies show that singing releases endorphins, those feel-good hormones you get after exercise or laughter.
2. Singing causes you to concentrate on something other than your worries and everything that makes you sad or anxious.
3. When you sing, you breath more deeply and so you get more oxygen in your bloodstream.
4. Singing works muscles deep inside your body that you usually don’t reach, even when you work out at a gym!
5. Singing helps you to communicate with others better, and as you know, much of depression has to do with your interpersonal relationships.

And so I urge you to SING TODAY, right now, even while you are reading this.  Just think of a favorite tune of yours and start humming it.  You’d be surprised by what can happen.

Meanwhile, keep singing and always remember….

Singing Is Your Joy Released!

Joy Sikorski, Master Voice Trainer

Image courtesy of Kevin Dooley’s Flickr photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/ / CC BY 2.0