Since the beginning of time, music has been more than a moment of entertainment–it comforts the soul and the mind and brings a recollection of memories long forgotten.
Music is an outlet for those who feel boxed in. It is also a source of healing and recovery, because music is medicine. Music calms anxiety, it lifts your spirit, it lightens your mood and it strengthens you mentally and spiritually. Most of all, music is therapy.
Calming the anxiety and the stress
Undergoing breast cancer is added stress that none of us wanted, and most of us who are currently going through a breast cancer journey have figured out a routine that works for us. It may involve listening to your favorite song to take the edge off. These songs and tunes can be from any genre, as long as they move you to feel better. Music with lyrics can ease anxiety, as it feeds you words and lyrics to appropriately relax the mind.
Learn more about helpful links and resources for breast cancer
Lifting your spirits and lightening your mood
Have you ever heard a song that made your day? Maybe it put a smile on your face. Think about it–you can be in a terrible mood, hear a song and feel better. Do you remember the first song you heard when you received your diagnosis? When I went through chemotherapy, it didn’t matter what genre I listened to, as long as music was playing. It gave me something to focus on while sitting in “the chair”. Before I knew it, I was smiling, singing and moving as I was being treated. Yup, I was dancing in my seat.
Music strengthens you mentally and spiritually
Music has a way of providing an energy that makes you feel on top of the world. It also has a way of bringing you back while centering your emotion and thoughts. A 2018 review found that for breast cancer patients, music was significantly effective in lowering blood pressure, anxiety and depression.
Music is therapy
Some patients have acknowledged that music saved their lives. In the midst of being in a dark place, they were able to hear the lyrics of a song and it spoke to them and made them change their way of thinking. With breast cancer, you may not be able to change the current moment, but through music, you can learn how to cope with it.
Do you need a soundtrack? Are you looking for more tunes to add to your current collection? The Mighty has provided patient-submitted playlists to assist you in your search.
I often think of Rocky Balboa in “Rocky”–that famous scene where he’s running up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in training mode. He is focused and ready and tackling the task. For those with breast cancer, I want us all to have the same mentality. Throw some music on and let’s tackle the task of healing and recovery.
Sign up here to get the latest news, perspectives, and information about breast cancer sent directly to your inbox. Registration is free and only takes a minute.
