We may say Merry Christmas but for a lot of people the festive season comes with a heavy, sad undertow. Dormant feelings of separation, loneliness and tension can feel heightened in the face of red nosed reindeers and cute elves. Memories of bereavement, failure in the year past, family discord or financial pressures may drown out the sounds of Christmas.
Perhaps tuning in and listening up may be just what the doctor ordered. Most of us already intuitively know that an uptempo song can shift your mood and make you work and exercise harder and longer. That might be one reason why we hear the endless repeats of We Wish You A Merry Christmas echoing through busy shopping malls as we mill through a frenzied pre-Christmas crowd - but they drive me, for one, out of there quicker than Santa from an accidentally lit fireplace.
But music (or sound) therapy can do much more than "just" make you work harder, shop more or run further. The right music can elevate and shift our mood.
"The ability of music to change our mood seems to be related to the production of different chemicals in the brain," writes Jeanette Tamplin, Postdoctoral Research Fellow of Music Therapy at University of Melbourne.
"Endorphins triggered by music listening and music-making provide a kind of natural pain relief, where dopamine leads to feelings of buoyancy, optimism, energy and power."
Listening, singing, using instruments and writing songs are strategies long used by therapists registered with the Australian Music Therapy Association to help patients navigate the low notes of life. Here's some additional help and resources - or just get down to your nearest Christmas Carols.
we're truly only just starting to realise the staggering effects music can have on the experience of stress, anxiety and especially pain - both mental and physical. For example, chronic back pain in hospital patients almost quickly reduces when "treated" with music, according to a 2005 French study.
If music can help me experience less pain during root canal therapy - one of the most convincing studies for the tremendous power of music in my mind- or heal chronic pain and short term emotional heartache, what are its limitations and potential detrimental side effects, if any?
Surely, Rammstein won't have the same effect as, say, Mozart? Similar to conventional medication where one person's wonder drug could have grave consequences for the next patient, to use it effectively, we may benefit from professional guidance in more difficult times.
A more highly developed version of sound therapy may also, literally, resonate: vibroacoustic therapy. It's a technique that converts music into tactile sensations, so your whole body is stimulated by soothing sound rather than just employing your auditory sense.
But if you are looking for small ways to help a loved one, here's my advice: connect with them through music and from the heart. Get them to tune in and listen up for an easy way to connect, start healing and brighten their day. In the words of Shakira: Whenever, Wherever … you can help without spending a lot of money.
Sol Walkling is a mind body studio manager.
