A Quick Cure for Anxiety and Depression – #WATWB
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about people who, quite understandably, feel depression brought on by the effects of Covid 19. Forced into social distancing, some that live alone face endless loneliness. Many face a harrowing financial and family crisis, what with physical distancing, loss of jobs and/or income, suddenly having to juggle more tasks—homeschooling comes to mind, especially challenging when parents have to work long hours on top of teaching their children. Some families don’t have enough food for the weekend, let alone for the week. Physical separation from friends and family, the inability to visit loved ones suddenly sickened and transported to the hospital, is a heartbreaker.
Too much change, too suddenly. Scrambles for toilet paper and wipes and masks and food, standing in long lines, fear of contracting the virus doing such simple tasks as shopping for food and putting gasoline in your car. Putting off non-emergency doctor visits. Especially for the medical folks, the long hours of work and the uncertainty has taken a heavy toll. Many are mired in anxiety and depression.
So when I went looking for good news for this month’s WATWB posting, I focused on finding good news that will help us pull ourselves out of the depression we fell into when our worlds suddenly turned upside down.
What I found was almost too good to be true: Just keep on doing something many of us already do.
Like, what? Listening to music for at least 22 minutes! According to a new study released by BAST (the British Academy of Sound Therapy), it only takes 13 minutes for music to “release sadness,” and an additional 9 minutes of listening to “make you happy.”
Okay, then! Van Morrison, Steve Winwood, Dan Hicks, here I come again. I’m pulling out my CDs and listening up. I haven’t become so gung ho that I sing, though. I care too much about innocent bystanders to subject them to an off-key voice that sends listeners running to turn on the radio.
You can read the entire article here:
At the end of each month, we bloggers are given an opportunity to post good news, offering an antidote to bad news in our feeds. The talented co-hosts for this month are: Susan Scott, Shilpa Garg, Damyanti Biswas, Mary Giese and myself, Lizbeth Hartz. Please check out the blogs and say hello.
Lizbeth Hartz is the author of the true crime, true love memoir Angel Hero, Murder in Hawaii, A True Story. Get it on Amazon or sign up to read the 1st chapter free.
I totally agree with the study’s findings from a personal perspective. Music touches my soul in many ways, from many genres and artists. It will always be around me because I can’t imagine life without it. Thanks for sharing, Lizbeth!
Hi Mary, Thanks for commenting. I’m like you, music touches my soul in so many ways. Mostly I like just listening, as I’m not a musician, but sometimes I write lyrics, and 4 years ago I wrote the lyrics for my Angel Hero song (to accompany my memoir of the same name). I was lucky enough to find a fine local musician to put it to music (Johnny Valentine, Bruno Mars’ uncle!). Then I had it demoed in Nashville. Whenever I want a goose-bump feeling, I play it and it lifts me out of the doldrums and into joy.
Music always helps cheer me up!
Me, too, Damyanti! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Thanks Lizbeth, in fact I’ve just put up on my laptop the Buddhist chant Om Mani Padme Hum right now while I’m on my laptop. Lovely post and thank you also for being a co-host this time round. And again my apologies about earlier difficulties on my post. Have a lovely weekend.
What a lovely idea, Susan. You inspired me to listen on YouTube to the chanting of Om. Thanks for sharing and being a cohost and please, no worries about earlier difficulties on your fabulous post. It’s working now 🙂
If this is a duplicate please remove it! But thank you for your post Lizbeth. You nudged me to put up A Buddhist chant on my lap top, Om Mani Padme Hum. Thank you also for co-hosting this month. And I’m really sorry about your not being able to access my #WATWB post earlier, it’s now fixed.
Hi Liz, I came across your post via Facebook today and decided to put your theory to the test. Being #AlohaFriday meant listening to Hawaiian music. 30 minutes later, I can vouch for the accuracy of the study’s findings! Mahalo nui and Aloha, Gail.
Hi Gail,
Mahalo nui for taking the time to check out my post and test out the music theory:) Knowing how busy you must be editing the upcoming Hawaii Fiction Writers’ anthology of Fractured Fairy Tales makes me especially happy you took a little break to kick back and enjoy some soulful Hawaiian sounds.
With fond aloha,
Liz
Music makes me feel good as well. And now I’ll have a study to point to when I’m caught dancing in the kitchen at all hours. Just tending to my uplifted mood. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this story, and for co-hosting this month.
Thanks for commenting, Deborah 🙂 And thanks for making me smile; I’m gonna tend to my uplifted mood, dancing inside (my rescue kitties freak out when I do something different like dancing outside.) You’re wecome, and wishing you a lovely, melodic day 🙂
This is a wonderful finding Lizbeth – so between 13 minutes to 22 minutes is all it takes? I definitely deserve that. Happy WATWB day. Thanks for co-hosting.
So they say, Kalpana. I agree, you definitely deserve that! Happy WATWB day to you, too, and thanks for that great post.
Loved this story and the stats! I must listen to music more often. Thanks for this positive story, Lizbeth!!
I’m glad you liked it, Shilpa! I’m with you; I must listen to music more. You’re welcome, and thanks for your comment:)
Oh, music has definitely cheered me and my girls up during lockdown! They are loving the soundtracks to Disney Descendants movies right now, while I have returned to Bon Jovi, my ultimate mood music 🙂
I’m glad, Catherine! Thanks for commenting. I’ll listen to those soundtracks!