A soothing mental health
There was a time when working at night had so confused my sleeping habits that my body forgot its habit of easily sleeping even while sitting on a chair. Instead, even while lying on the bed, my mind was so filled with active ideas that sleep was nowhere to be seen hovering over me. Then the rescue of music came. Sam Porter and researchers from the Queen’s University Belfast had observed the positive effect of music therapy in children and adolescents (ages eight to 16) with social, behavioral and emotional issues.
After only 12 weekly sessions at 30 minutes per session, their self-esteem had improved significantly, while their depression lowered as well. (However, the therapy failed to have a significant impact on the family and social function.)
In the music therapy session, each child or adolescent was allowed to play freely a guitar, xylophone, drums and keyboard to his or her heart’s content. The participants were even encouraged, if they showed an interest, to make a personalized CD on what they played.
Porter and colleagues reported the outcome of the study in an article in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry in 2016. That is something any parent or teacher can do for troubled children at home or at school, respectively.
So what music rescued me from that insomnia?
It was instrumental music made by an orchestra led by a cello. The sound was sharp enough to be clear to the ears and calming to the mind and nerves, but not so dull like that of a piano or as irritating as a flute or a saxophone.
I played the music the whole day even while working and toward sleep at night, toning down all extra energy whittled by lessr time for physical exercise. My circadian rhythm returned within a week of doing so.
If you need a copy of this music, send me your email so I can send you a link for its source.
Maya Angelou wrote in her book, Gather Together in My Name (1974): “Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” You do not have to be lonely though with music. But you can be calm, relaxed and reinvigorated.
Music is in the ear of him who hears, As beauty in the eyes of him who sees… FLORENCE PERCY A Brace of Sonnets (1855)