In this episode I talk to Beth Haughton, who is a Vocal Coach and runs Bethany Haughton Music & Vocal Coaching in Craycombe, near Evesham.
Beth and I chatted about how we can incorporate music and singing into our lives a little more. If you enjoy singing at home, a great tactic for reducing anxiety and depression is to start with deep breathing and then hum or sing along to one of your favourite songs. Relaxing our bodies helps to relax our minds, if our brain perceives we are not in "danger" then we can function much more effectively, much more pleasant than being in "headless chicken" mode!
Beth singing her cover of "I'll Stand By You", recorded for the charity Endo Support United Ltd https://youtu.be/ytjDuOedwCc
We noted that our former "going out" music has become our "housework" music during lockdown! Beth says her household jobs get done much quicker when she's got an uplifting playlist on. You can shake off the troubles of the day, our brains can wander off and think about things that we need a solution to, perhaps we can gain a more positive perspective. And all this is great for emptying our stress bucket and improving our overall wellbeing.
Beth works with adults with learning disabilities and has seen the positive benefit of music in practice. There are so many ways which we can enjoy singing - joining a choir or band which gives you a sense of shared purpose, or singing in the shower, or humming along to the radio in the car! Popping a favourite playlist or the radio on can be a really quick and easy way to give ourselves a positive boost of happy hormones and help us feel more motivated, and protect our mental health.
So I'm off to clean the bathroom with the radio on loud!
Click here to watch the interview with Beth: https://fb.watch/6lqD9uldNp/
Beth's vocal coaching Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/Bethanyhaughtonmusic/