By: Bec Harris
The healing power of music
Doctor of Psychology and Mindset Coach, Dr. Marny Lishman shares about music and its ability to heal a broken heart.
Self-Care Talk
Dr. Marny’s work involves her walking her clients through stress management or dealing with a challenging issue they are going through.
“Self-talk is an important part of that,” she said.
She also helps clients through stress management, by suggesting a combination of exercise, time in nature and listening to music.
“I think we all know what it feels like when we’re either angry or frustrated or had a really bad day and we get in the car and we turn on the radio, put the volume up and really have a good time, belting out great music.”
Relaxation
“A lot of research actually shows that music does have healing qualities about it. Whether people are going through something tough or even if it’s related to pain, a physical pain relief. They say listening to music actually soothes us and calms us.”
Not only does music release stress and stir up emotion when we are singing aloud, but it reaffirms how we feel, because many song lyrics are written from a place of vulnerability.
“Let’s face it, a lot of the most beautiful songs that have ever been written usually come from a place of loneliness and heartbreak. I think when we’re listening to the lyrics it validates how we’re feeling and it actually, it shows us that we’re not the only one that goes through something like that.”
Mirroring
Dr. Marny says there’s beauty in the idea that a songwriter we’ve never met is able to mirror an experience that we’re going through in the present.
“That kind of feeling of support and validation and empathy is actually really calming for us.”
Declaration of Lyrics
Singing or speaking lyrics aloud can have cathartic results.
“It’s almost like the hero’s journey of any story that we’ve read growing up is that people are going to rise past this and get through it, and there’s healing after hope. Pelting out those tunes is us saying, ‘I’ll get through this. I’m stronger than I think I am,’ which is something that we need, to get out of that pit of despair.”
Nostalgia & Heartbreak
Dr. Marny said she often feels nostalgic listening to artists from her youth, recalling many 1980’s artists who found success with breakup songs inspired by heartbreak within the band.
“There were a lot of love songs but there were some hate songs thrown in there as well on their journey with the band.”
The Music of Our Past
Nostalgia covers a myriad of senses.
“It could be a smell, or a kind of a sight, photographs, but a lot of it is about, you know, what you’re listening to.”
Dr. Marny said she encourages her older clients to get out the old albums, CDs and cassette tapes, and to listen to the music from their formative years.
“Music from young adulthood and teenage years will tend to evoke emotions that in the present moment that you felt back then,” she said.
“I say to people all the time, listen to the music you loved from the past and listen to it now, remember who you were then and bring back those parts of yourself that are going to be helpful for you.”
One Artist, One Concrete Message
It is possible to be driven by one artist’s narrative, according to Dr. Marny.
“We probably need to ask lots of Swifties out there, don’t we? She’s someone who documents all the heartbreaks that she’s gone through and writes lyrics from that experience. She just pens it, she writes these poems and they become beautiful songs.”
The frequency in which we listen to artists can give us a more concentrated experience. Dr. Marny argued that this adds to catharsis and helps us process.
“Sometimes there is a confirmation bias. You end up listening to the same stuff. Because there’s so many other artists out there or songs that you’re probably not listening to who might be really helpful for you. So I think some variety is so good,” she added.
“We never know what we’re going to get when we turn the radio on because might hear something that resonates and challenges the way we think.”
Listen More
She encouraged us to listen to more of the music that helps us work through our experience.
“Turn off your other devices and just spend more time in the present moment with yourself. Create that spare time to listen, because it’s so good for your brain, and for processing those emotions.”
Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.
