Voyages could be embarked upon for various reasons like nurturing happiness from a leisurely cruise in a contemporary sense, or if we go further back in time, as rite of passage in the tradition of Merantau in Indonesia where a man leaves his hometown to seek knowledge elsewhere. With the exception of the Merantau tradition, I would say that for the most of us voyages are often not intended to be life changing in nature. Voyages give us the opportunity of distance and time away from any weariness, increase our happiness and decrease worry through a leisurely cruise on our own as a solo adventure or perhaps with family and friends.
Now, let’s set off on a “voyage” together and wonder about how we can increase our happiness and decrease worry by starting a breathtakingly simple 20 minute activity. I think of it as breathtakingly simple and you would probably ditto the same too as you read on. The activity which I am really happy to reveal today after close perusal of research studies is choir singing, an activity that increases our happiness and decreases worry.
In a study that involved 38 participants and led by Till Moritz Schladt (Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (CAESAR), Max Planck Society Bonn, Germany - Till conducted an experiment that compared the neuroendocrine (I.e. salivary OXT and CORT concentrations) effects of a 20 minute choir singing session in a group vs a 20 minute solo singing. The singing activity included excerpts of the oratorio Messiah by G. F. Händel or parts IV, V and VI of the Christmas Oratorio by J. S. Bach. The results show that 20 minutes of either choir or solo singing of these two masterpieces is sufficient to increase happiness and decrease sadness and worry, with choir singing exerting the stronger effects.
You may like to try listening, or singing these two masterpieces on your own or as a social chloral activity, scroll down below for the Spotify link at the tail part of this blog post.
If you are curious about OXT which is also known as Neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT), OXT has been found to promote social affiliation and bond formation, to reduce anxiety, and to dampen any stress response in us. A well-functioning OXT system is therefore of great importance for our day-to-day life. Quantifying OXT concentrations in body fluids has become a popular tool with the aim to assess the general activity of peoples’ OXT system for better healthcare or wellness outcomes. Studies such as the one conducted by Till have relied on the quantification of OXT concentrations in body fluids such as saliva, which is much easier to obtain than invasively. OXT is synthesized in the brain and released into our saliva, blood, and within defined brain regions that regulate emotional, cognitive, and social behaviors.
However, for those of us who are not quite hyped up about singing, it is also fine to try humming along your favorite tunes. I am sure you have a few tunes in mind. Although humming tunes or humming the two masterpieces was not covered in the study, other studies have shared that when we hum or sing, we naturally activate our vagus nerve which links to respiration, and that slowing down exhalation has a positive effect of calming. Activating the vagus nerve basically tells our brain that all is well, and it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to relax us. It turns out that our voice box (larynx) is connected to our vagus nerve, hence by singing or humming, we could feel relaxed too.
If you like to support Wellness Chums or cheer on our on-going efforts in sharing evidence based positive psychology research that could enhance wellbeing for you and also the society at large, do subscribe to our email mailing list by scrolling to the bottom part of this link. Subscribers would also receive complimentary latest email notifications of new Wellness Chums blog post.
Catch up on other blog post featured in Wellness Chums, check out this most read post on “Hidden Powers of Wellness in Your Hands Right Now” and discover how you could leverage on your favorite music playlist for improved feelings of wellness.
Fill me in when you get the chance through the comments link. Have a splendid day!
Masterpieces that Invoke Happiness Through Singing
Have an wonderful week!
Comments