In today’s fast-paced world, adolescent mental health is declining. Some young people struggle to find a way to deal with this and often resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms that do more harm than good. But what if singing – expressing yourself through music – could be the key to improving your well-being?

Singing isn’t just a way to enjoy music—it’s a powerful tool for mental and emotional well-being. Scientific studies and personal experiences suggest that singing can bring numerous benefits, from reducing stress to boosting self-confidence.

A pilot study in Austria during 2015/16 looked at how group singing and listening to music affected 11- to 18-year-olds hospitalised in the Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at PMU Salzburg. The findings showed that group singing significantly lowered cortisol (a stress hormone that promotes the fight or flight response), while listening to music helped patients feel calmer. Both activities improved overall well-being and quality of life, suggesting that music-based activities could be a helpful addition to mental health care, especially in clinical settings.

Let’s dive into some of the remarkable ways singing can positively impact our mental health.

Emotional benefits

Singing releases protein-based hormones known as endorphins and oxytocin that are secreted and released from the brain. Endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, create a general feeling of well-being, making us feel happier and relaxed. Oxytocin is essential in human behaviours including recognition, trust, and romantic attachment. It helps us form connections with others, which helps reduce loneliness and lift the overall mood. This is why singing in a group is particularly beneficial.

Lots of young people struggle with self-expression, but some people find that singing freely allows them to authentically express themselves. Many adolescents can’t find the right words to express their thoughts or feelings, leading to depression and self-isolation. However, music provides an outlet for expression.

Many would prefer belting out their favourite song and blasting music rather than sitting down and talking about their feelings, which can be difficult to do, although often helpful. Music can stir up thoughts and emotions we sometimes suppress and release our anger or sadness we might not be aware of. Whether writing your own songs to show your creative way to express your ideas and views or singing a song you relate to at the top of your lungs, it all leads to you expressing yourself in a way you might not otherwise experience.

Cognitive benefits

Ever wonder why so many children learned the alphabet from a song? The words attached to a tune get embedded into the children’s brains, engaging their ‘memory muscle.’

That’s also how people learn songs in another language they don’t understand. Memorising lyrics and mastering timing trains the brain to manage multiple tasks at once more effectively, which can enhance mental agility and improve reading skills. Understanding the lyrics and interpreting them in different ways also challenge young people’s ability to empathise and explore.

Physical benefits

Other than the mental benefits, singing also has surprising physiological benefits, including strengthening the immune system, and improving breathing and lung function.

Studies have shown that right after singing, participants had higher levels of Immunoglobulin A, an abundant antibody that supports immune function, helping to keep us healthy. In contrast, high levels of stress and depression can weaken the immune system by triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response, which raises heart rate, disrupts sleep, and impacts overall health.

Singing can also improve overall breathing. Part of learning to sing is mastering breath control, which requires using your diaphragm to increase oxygen intake and lung capacity. According to research, this improved knowledge of breathing also helps people who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks.

Diaphragmatic breathing also clears mucus from the lungs benefitting people with respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis (inflammation of the airways) and asthma.

Beyond lung function, singing also enhances your stamina, which extends to other activities, for example running, swimming and playing wind instruments.

What type of song would be best?

Every person is unique and our responses to music are no exception. Listening to and singing different types of music affects each of us differently, so discovering the songs that uplift us most can be a deeply personal journey.

Music connects us to shared human experiences and emotions, making us feel less alone and more understood. Listening to or singing music that resonates with us can be a way to communicate and reconnect with our feelings. For those experiencing emotional numbness, this can be especially valuable as it offers a path to reflection and emotion.

Additionally, songs are often attached to memories, which can spark happy and nostalgic recollections and trigger sweet memories from your childhood that can bring comfort and warmth.

Although Rita Ora did sing “I don’t wanna hear sad songs anymore”, some argue that listening to melancholy songs when feeling down provides comfort. A 2019 study found that young participants with major depressive disorder reported feeling better after listening to sad music, contrary to the idea that it might exacerbate the low mood. Sad music provides validation and connection that might help ease feelings of depression.

However, for some, listening to sad music can deepen sorrowful emotions instead. If you find that sad music doesn’t work for you, try listening and singing to more uplifting songs. Finding what truly supports your well-being is key.

Singing proves to be a powerful and easily accessible tool to improve well-being. If you have time, consider joining a local or school choir to foster connection and community through the joy of singing. If you are more comfortable singing solo, try doing karaoke in your bedroom or create a playlist with the perfect songs. Or perhaps you can start writing your own songs, allowing your emotions to flow freely, and maybe inspire others too.

Embrace the power of your voice– singing could be the key to unlocking a happier, healthier, more confident you!

* Headline are lyrics from Aerosmith’s ‘Dream On’