A Letter to my Neighbour
Dear Neighbour,
This week, whist doing some gardening, you stopped me in my tracks. I heard you singing along to your favourite song.
I say singing, what I really mean is, belting it out, really going for it. You sounded happy. Thankyou for letting me share that happiness with you, it really made me think.
People forget the power that music has to change people's mood or affect emotions.
Research has shown that people who listen to upbeat music can improve their mood and boost happiness in just two weeks. When people are happy, it also makes for better physical health, higher income, and greater relationship satisfaction. All of these imporovments to a persons life can stem from listening to an upbeat piece of music. Now that, is power.
Music has also been proven to help alliveate physical pain. It has been seen that patients who listened to music before, during, or after surgery experienced less pain and anxiety, compared to those who did not. This is so much cheaper than pain relief medication and can be reused over and over again!
I know what you're thinking.... Does this work for dogs? Well, i can tell you, yes it does! There is evidence to show that certain types of music can help dogs with their anxiety, lower heart rate and respiration, and alleviate certain behavioral challenges like exessive barking, You heard it here first, if your furry friend is feeling anxious, perhaps they are scared of thunderstroms? Play them some soothing music.
One of the most common ways that music aids our mood is during a break-up. Music can sometimes be the shoulder to cry on, the supportive friend. Some songs tell similar stories to yours, expressing the feelings you are still trying to figure out. While this can be good therapy for people maybe they should be listening to happy upbeat music if what we have learnt is true.
Thankyou, Mr Neighbour, for unknowingly allowing me to share in your moment of happiness and freedom. And in the words of ABBA, Thankyou for the music!
Yours thankfully,
Caitlin