Self-Care and Music Amidst COVID-19

   Recently, I woke up very early with my mind in an anxious state with worry about the lack of medical equipment and supplies for our healthcare workers on the front line. Immediately, I felt anger and frustration at a lack of a coordinated effort to address this need, sadness over the human toll this pandemic is taking.

   My mind was continuing to spiral even before I got out of bed. I did not want to start my day in anger and fear, so I put on some music (Meditation de Thais by Jules Massenet) via my iPad and headband headphones (so as to not wake my spouse). I allowed myself to continue to feel the pain and angst of the situation in our country/world but I let my body give in to the sweetness of the music. It did not change the crisis, but it did help me to start my day in more resourceful state. It is very easy to spiral into anxiety and hopelessness; music offers my body and spirit a comforting companion to easing some of those physiological and emotional responses.

   These are unprecedented times; the COVID-19 virus has hit our country and world on so many levels. One of our best responses, and defenses, is to be as healthy as possible. Basic self-care is always a good start in dealing with any type of crisis. Adding music to that care offers a layer that can touch your heart, as well as your body. Research has shown that music can boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and stress responses, enhance cognitive functioning, as well as offering a host of other benefits. It just makes sense to add music to our strategies for self-care.

MUSIC in the FOREGROUND 

   I propose taking music out of the background and adding it in a meaningful way to your plan for self-care. Use it with intention as a way to infuse balance into your days. Don’t think of music as simply an escape or distraction from the craziness. Think of it as an accompaniment or a way to process whatever you are experiencing. At a time when we are in front of screens perhaps more than ever before, music can offer assistance to our physiological and emotional processing. Finding or writing a song that connects deeply with what you are feeling can be incredibly cathartic.

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​Here are a few suggestions to get you started

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Play an instrument

• Dust off that guitar, ukulele, frame drum, flute... (Of course, if you are not Sheltering-in-Place alone, that may make this more complicated.) Explore improvisation and playing softly but with intention.
• Book recommendation: Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner

 
Sing!

• Singing brings breath into the body. It offers a way to express emotions. Sing out loud, sing silently to yourself, sing with others, organize a family band....
• Here is a creation from a creative family in the U.K.:  One Day More

Strengthen your lungs!
Playing a wind instrument and singing are proven ways to strengthen and increase lung capacity. Because COVID-19 specifically affects the lungs, it makes great sense to get your lungs in the best possible shape!
Put yourself on a schedule: 
​breakfast, brush teeth, 5 minutes on the harmonica...

Just Listen to music

• Take a break from watching it on You Tube. Close your eyes and listen with your heart. Let the music move you!
• One of my favorite movie scenes is from Philadelphia where Andrew (Tom Hanks) is experiencing and narrating the aria La Mamma Morta, sung by Maria Callas. The aria so completely fills every part of his being. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwRHwKZSu-w

 
Find your Power Song(s)

• This is your go-to song when it feels like the world is crashing in on you, when the present moment is too painful. This is the song that bypasses thought and goes directly to your heart and soul. It brings you comfort and solace. It need only be a 3-minute pause (less time than a smoking break or a trip to the water cooler at work).
• At this moment, my power song is Orpheus by Sara Bareilles. I find myself repeating the line “We will not give up on love now.” I listen to the song, play it on the piano and sing it, sing it while I am in the garden…. It gives me hope!

 
Meditation

• I encourage a daily meditative practice, whatever you choose it to be. There is no right or wrong way to do this; there is only a right way for you.
• Some people have a difficult time with a silent meditation practice. Sitting still while listening to meditative music can be a restorative and comforting meditation practice. Try closing your eyes, focusing on your breath and the music; gently continue to direct your thoughts back to breath/music when you find it wanders.
• Book recommendation: Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron

 
Sleep

• Prioritize restful and good sleep.
• Some people find that listening to music before they go to bed helps them to quiet their mind and sleep better. I am not one of those people. Music wakes me up and engages my mind. While I don’t use it before trying to get to sleep, it does make a difference if I have taken time during my day to sing and delve into music making. My spirit feels satisfied and this helps me sleep better at night. In a similar way that exercise works to help my physical angst work its way out, singing helps me express emotions churning in my soul.
• Book recommendation: Why We Sleep by Mathew Walker

 
Contain Incoming News

• A lot has been said about taking breaks from reading the news. Too much stress (that can be triggered by reading the news) can wreak havoc on our bodies and immune system; it can also be immobilizing.
• Try playing some recorded instrumental music while you read the news. I suggest music that is calming, and maybe without a lot of tempo and dynamic variety. I find this can help settle my body while allowing my mind to focus on what I am reading.

 
Connect with Self and Others

• These days that we are “staying at home” can offer a chance to evaluate the way we spend our time. Make an effort to befriend yourself; be gentle and kind to yourself. These are tender times. The Buddhist practice of Loving Kindness highlights the notion that compassion for the world begins with compassion for self.
• Reach out to meaningfully connect with others. Video-conferencing has never been more available than it is now. If you have a smart phone, you have access to video chatting with someone you love.
• I have been experimenting with different online platforms for music making in real time with others. We have found that it is easier to sing tones together outside of a rhythmic meter. At the moment, Daughters of Harriet (a group of 5 music therapists that I sing with) are exploring a way to lead an on-line Chant Circle. Stay tuned for details.

 
Seek out new artists/songs/music
In my last letter out to my mailing list, I asked for people to suggest songs that have brought them comfort in times of need. What follows is some of the suggestions that came in:

• A Safe Place to Land by Sara Bareilles & Lori McKenna, sung by Sara B. & John Legend
• Calling All Angels by ‪Jane Siberry, sung by Jane S. & k.d. lang
• Love Out of Nowhere by Linda Waterfall
• Taking Tiger Mountain by Brian Eno
• Chopin Nocturnes in E minor version by Helene Grimaldi

Unexpected gift: my daughter, Emily Wilder, has been with us as we Shelter in Place.
Here we are singing one of my chants:
Let Love Surround You