Mental Health & Music
Most of us enjoy music, either as a background distraction or as a road trip sing-a-long or beat heavy healing. It can remind us of a specific time in our life, a certain moment, or hold a memory of someone special.
My mother likes it as a background tune, yet like my father, I can’t help but listen to the lyrics. For I feel them in my soul. It’s the combination of emotion held in each note, and what the words are trying to convey. Some musicians are better at it than others. Yet we all relate differently.
Depression has lingered in my family for generations. We all deal with it differently. I have read the books, I have practised many techniques. Growing up I had difficulty displaying my emotions, as to me the world made no sense. Often, it still doesn’t. The only answer I found was writing. Writing is an outlet for thoughts, emotion and creates a way to attempt to understand the things I don’t. As a bonus I can create my own worlds. It is soothing to release that which is held inside. A simple release, yet a release all the same. So I write.
Children’s stories provide an innocence when the world is crazy. Song lyrics provide a release to crazy emotions. I’d encourage everyone to give it a go, whether it’s a secret journal, poetry or just random thoughts. Those ink marks on the page begin to make more sense, they clear the cluster in the mind, and send the unwanted into the vapour of life.
There’s also the option of writing down what you want to discard, or let go of, and then symbollically destroying it. Like burning it, to release negative energy, past hurts, bad habits or unwanted attachments. Then write wishes, hopes and dreams. Focusing on renewal, positivity and hope.
Harness the inspiration and turn it into something productive like music. Maybe what once tormented you can become a viable income stream? Maybe just feeling settled is enough? Who knows where the journey will take you, so long as you participate
The question now is, when my mind is finally calm, can I still write?
