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Music in a Mental Health Moment · Life Lived Better

• 0:08
  Hello there again. Welcome to another mental health
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  moment from the Life Live Better podcast.
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  This is the place where we take just a couple of minutes, take
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  care of our minds. I'm Paula and today we're
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  discussing the connection between music and mental health.
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  Have you ever noticed how just one single song can completely
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  change your mood? Certain songs can transform me.
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  One minute I'll be stressed or overwhelmed or exhausted.
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  Even then, one of my favorite songs comes on and suddenly
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  things feel a little lighter. That happens to you too.
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  Know that it's not just your imagination, it's actually your
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  brain. Music has a unique relationship
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  with mental health because it activates multiple areas of the
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  brain at the same time. Music can influence our
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  emotions, our memory, our attention, movement, even the
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  release of chemicals like dopamine, which is associated
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  with pleasure and motivation. Think about it.
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  I mean, certain songs can instantly transport us back to a
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  specific moment in our life, like a graduation or a road
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  trip, a first date, maybe a loss.
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  Music kind of becomes the soundtrack to our experiences,
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  which is why it can evoke those such powerful emotions.
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  You know, research actually shows us that music can help us
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  reduce stress and anxiety. It can actually calm our nervous
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  system if it has a slower tempo. And upbeat music can increase
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  our energy. It can improve our mood.
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  There are therapists that even use music as part of treatment
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  to help clients process their emotion and build coping skills
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  that express their feelings. You know, put words to the
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  difficult feelings. But here's something really
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  interesting. Music doesn't always make us
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  feel happy. It helps us feel understood.
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  Sometimes that song we need to hear isn't because it's
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  cheerful, it's because it says something like someone else has
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  felt this too. It's the sense of connection
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  that can be so healing. So next time you're feeling
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  stressed or overwhelmed or stuck, consider creating a
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  playlist and create it with intention.
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  You know, ask yourself, what do I need right now?
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  What songs do I need to hear right now to feel comfort or
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  energy or hope or reflection or whatever you're looking for?
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  Because sometimes self-care really isn't that complicated.
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  Sometimes it's just about pressing play, You know, music
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  may not solve every problem, but it can help us navigate our
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  emotions. It can help us feel less alone
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  and reconnect with ourselves. And that's a powerful tool for
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  mental health. The Life Live Better podcast
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  thanks you for joining us for this mental health moment.
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  Until next time, take care of your mind and your music.
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  It's the only one we've got right?
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  And don't forget that knowledge leads to a life lived better.