by Jesse Heilman, MT-BC, Music Therapist at Kansas City Hospice

Let music therapy provide comfort.

During this pandemic season, music helps with emotional expression, mind and body relaxation, connection to our loved ones, and overall well-being.

Listening to music with intention can create a space to help our emotions feel valid. Create playlists that center around themes such as hope, calm, joy or sadness. Use YouTube or music streaming services to create free playlists, which can be a helpful, creative project for self-awareness. Choose music that supports you.

Sometimes it helps to find music that speaks to us right where we are in a particular moment. For example, music can help us express something that otherwise might be difficult. It  can be the medium that provides a safe space for self-expression. Music allows us to show emotion in a way that may not otherwise come easily.

Support Well-Being

Using music to support our daily well-being may involve listening to upbeat, fast music to make us feel more alert and improve concentration as we begin the morning or work in the afternoon, or slower, relaxing music to quiet our minds and relax our muscles in the evening before sleeping. Remember, when you stress and hold tension, music can help you relax. Try incorporating light stretches, movement, or dancing with music to relax your body.

Don’t forget to be creative with music! Do you have an old guitar or a piano? Dust them off! Learning an instrument can be a great way to gain a new skill and enjoy making music with friends and loved ones. Explore opportunities for online lessons and videos to help you begin.

Play, stretch, dance or sing along with your favorite songs for some movement and expression. Remember, just like exercise, singing releases endorphins and feels good.

However you choose to do it, incorporating music into your daily routine in an intentional way can be beneficial for mental, emotional, social and physical well-being.

Jesse Heilman is a music therapist at Kansas City Hospice, providing comfort and support to patients, families, staff and volunteers. You may remember her from this year’s Circle of Lights and you can hear her sing on this video.

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