Understanding Music’s Effect on Us
Previous studies have sought to explore exactly how music can impact us and what that means for our lives:
1. How We Feel – Music reaches us at a subconscious level, and the rhythms and beats that we hear can speak to us in ways that words simply can’t. As babies, we’re sung to by our mothers, grandmothers, and other prominent family members; music helps us to tune into our emotions and feel for others as well.
2. How We Remember – There is a part of the brain that associates memories and music; it is because of this that we’re often able to remember old songs that we haven’t listed to for over 10 years, or why we’re so easily able to recall a moment with somebody because music was playing in the background.
3. How We Learn – Neuroplasticity is what helps our brain heal from injuries and diseases, and music can also play a major role in this by helping our brain to process new information that’s being received.
4. How We Focus – Music can effectively activate, sustain and maintain our attention. When music is playing, it becomes so easy to focus on it that we lose track of time or of the situation at hand – in a sense, music can bring us to the present moment.
Finding Music That Inspires You
Since music can have such a big influence on our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, it would make sense that we should incorporate some meaningful songs into our daily lives in recovery. Music gives us a chance to hear someone else’s story – and even if we can’t relate to their specific circumstance, we can most likely relate to the emotions they’re feeling. If you’re ready to dive into some inspirational music for addiction recovery, check out the following songs:
· “Recover” by Natasha Bedingfield – this song is all about overcoming challenges and making the most of life
· “Sober” by Pink – in this song, Pink celebrates the fact that sobriety brings back people, memories, places and moments of joy that addiction once took away
· “Starting Over” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – even after relapse, it’s still possible to begin in – in fact, many people in recovery consider each day “Day 1” to represent the start of a new beginning
· “Exactly” by Amy Steinberg – a spiritual and very inspirational singer, Amy Steinberg sings songs of hope, positivity, love, and light. This song is all about understanding the current process and recognizing that we can’t control everything
· “Workin’ On It” by Andy Grammer – even when it feels like it’s taking a long time to get to where we want to be, the most important part is that we continue taking small steps to get there
Of course, inspiring songs of recovery can be found in a wide selection of genres; no matter what style of music you enjoy, you’ll likely be able to find something that resonates with you and compels you to want to keep pushing forward.
Music Therapy
Listening to music isn’t just an activity we listen to on our own – we can also attend music therapy to help us explore some of the deeper meanings of our thoughts and daily lived experiences. Music therapy, as it sounds, provides more of a “therapeutic” approach to music – and while it may include listening to or playing an instrument to a song, the focus is on healing and rejuvenation. In the past, researchers have sought to explore just how powerful music can be – and they’ve found that for those in addiction recovery, music therapy can help people with emotional expression, group interaction, development of skills and an improvement in their overall quality of life.
The Bridge NYC is a boutique luxury sober living facility for men seeking a concierge experience to balance outpatient programs, school, or work-life resulting in a sustainable, lasting recovery. Call (646) 928 0085 today for more information about admissions or The Clean Fun Network.
