This little nugget was given to me by a student of mine and all I have done to fact check is compare it with my own experience. He told me that singing and humming can relieve stress because to do it you are using a completely different part of your brain than you need, let's say, to crunch numbers or cram for a test.
I love to sing... always have. I am not any good and I will sometimes sing only the refrain of a song over and over again, even if that is only 3 or 4 words. While doing it I am totally oblivious to what I am singing or how often I repeat the line, to the misfortune of those in earshot. I even sometimes sing lyrics that relate to my emotional state like some bad, private musical that my fiancé can't seem to escape.
But singing I only do when I am feeling grounded and free. It is a sign that I am doing well even if I am not necessarily in a good mood.
So, it stands to reason that purposely taking myself to that place of groundedness by singing or humming would relieve stress, taking my mind off the present task and providing an outlet for any pent-up emotions.
In any case, I am going to try it out. The good thing about humming is that you can do it at work without drawing too much attention, whereas belting out a ballad might not be totally work-appropriate.
I apologize in advance to the neighbors because belting out ballads at home however, must be tolerated. Hmmm... today is feeling very "Total Eclipse of the Heart - ish"
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