Welcome to a new blog series, written for caregivers, music enthusiasts and all those who understand the transformative power of music as a conduit to wellness. Whether you're a caregiver seeking respite from the demands of your day to day or simply someone intrigued by the idea of integrating music into your wellness routine, you're in the right place. As a wellness practitioner deeply rooted in the belief that holistic approaches pave the path to health and wellbeing, I'm thrilled to introduce this blog series. Throughout these posts, we'll explore how sound and music, in its myriad forms, can serve as a buffer against stress, fatigue, and burnout. Our aim is to craft a space where science and spirit converge, offering strategies backed by peer-reviewed research and enlivened by personal passion. We know that the sounds of nature and music serve us far beyond pure entertainment, but that they can access and stimulate parts of our brain sparking joy, encouraging, and motivating us to move our bodies, to connect to the natural world, all while deeply affecting our soul, psyche and our thoughts and emotions. The origins of music are found in the very evolution of modern man and respected in every culture on earth for its therapeutic potential, offering solace, rejuvenation, and connection in times of need. Our journey will take us into realms of discovery where we will explore the answers to what makes walking so healthful; how rhythmic movement harmonizes with melodic inspiration to elevate both body and mind. We'll embark on soundscapes of serenity, immersing ourselves in the ethereal realms of sound baths and sleep-inducing melodies. And that's just the beginning. We will delve into why tuning into healing sounds of the natural world, actively listening to the rustle of leaves and the melodies of the breeze, not to mention the calming effects bird song has such positive effects on regulating our nervous system. Each installment of this blog series will be crafted with care, offering you not only practical strategies but also a source of inspiration to fuel your ongoing mental health and wellness goals. Together, we'll unlock the transformative potential of music, weaving its melodies into the fabric of our daily lives.  So, whether you arrive on our page to seek solace from the chaos of our demanding lives or are curious about the healing powers of music, let’s take this journey together, one note at a time. I hope you join us for what promises to be a symphony of wellness, experiencing the rhythms of resilience.

Recently, I was at a conference where a new term was introduced, at least the term, “empathic strain”, was new to me. The concept of compassion fatigue has long been acknowledged as a challenge for paid and unpaid caregivers. Recent discussions among researchers and experts have led to a significant shift in terminology, and our understanding of its impact and affects. The growing emphasis on the term empathic strain reflects a deeper understanding of the distinct neural processes involved in empathy and compassion and our understanding the difference between the two. Empathy , the ability to sense or share others' pain, and then compassion, the recognition of suffering accompanied by a desire to alleviate it, form the foundation of caregiving roles. Empathic strain refers to the toll taken on individuals regularly exposed to others' suffering without adequate support. The signs and symptoms of empathic strain are varied and profound, impacting both professional performance and personal well-being. The neural networks involved in empathy are the same as those connected to the experience of pain. Interacting on a regular basis with the suffering of others, compounded by an inability to effectively alleviate, causes our brain to react the same way it would to pain, with avoidance and self-protection. Those experiencing empathic strain often grapple with profound physical and emotional exhaustion, making even the simplest tasks seem daunting. This exhaustion is coupled with a notable decrease in empathy, rendering it challenging to connect with and understand the emotions of others. Heightened levels of anger and irritability become more frequent as emotional reserves are depleted, and some may turn to increased substance use or simply shutting down as a coping mechanism. Those affected may find their satisfaction at work greatly diminished, leading to a desire for isolation from colleagues and clients. Persistent worry and stress become constant companions, exacerbating emotional volatility, and impairing decision-making abilities. Absenteeism may also manifest as individuals struggle to muster the energy to fulfill their professional responsibilities, further blurring the boundaries between work and personal life. To address empathic strain, we need a comprehensive and multimodal approach. One of the most effective, and simple ways is to engage in mindful self-compassion practices, available through courses, online resources, and apps. It begins with training and mindfulness practices that fosters a compassionate attitude towards oneself amidst challenging circumstances. Room 217 offers musical self-care resources . It is critical to acknowledge and validate one's feelings, an essential first step while navigating emotional complexities effectively. This is significant because it helps us to develop awareness of environmental stressors and enables us to set up proactive management of triggers. Prioritizing self-care and establishing clear boundaries safeguard against emotional depletion, while cultivating mental calmness and equanimity through mindfulness practices enhances emotional resilience. Addressing past trauma and seeking professional help are crucial steps in healing and restoring emotional balance. From my perspective, empathic strain offers a nuanced perspective on the emotional toll experienced by caregivers. By acknowledging its signs and proactively implementing preventive strategies, such as fostering connections with music, we can effectively mitigate its impact and promote holistic well-being within caring professions. This approach not only safeguards individual mental and emotional health but also enhances the quality of care provided to those in need. “The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as being able to walk through water without getting wet.” - Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom, 1996

Did you know that ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in Canada? According to the Centre for ADHD Awareness, it affects 4-6% of adults and 5-7% of children or approximately 1.8 million Canadians. This means 1 in every 21 Canadians has the disorder. So what is ADHD? ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The DSM-V defines symptoms of ADHD as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Inattention might include failure to pay attention to detail and difficulty focusing and following through tasks. Hyperactivity might include excessive fidgeting and movement not appropriate to the situation, while impulsivity may include difficulty with turn taking or blurting something out. ADHD can be defined as a predominantly inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive or combined presentation, and often persists into adulthood. However sometimes the diagnosis is missed in childhood leading to a diagnosis later in life. Persons with ADHD have lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is involved in attention and memory, movement, reward and motivation. A study from Lyon University found that listening to the music you like will increase the release of dopamine from your brain. Curious to know more about how music can support persons with ADHD? Well, music is often used to practice attention skills. Attention can be broken down into four types: sustained, selective/focused, alternating and divided. Did you know that learning to play an instrument can help develop different memory and attention skills? For example, while playing piano you have to sustain your attention on the task, alternate your attention between the music and your hands, as well as divide your attention between the treble and bass clef. If you catch yourself playing a wrong note, you might also pause to practice the passage. Other examples of attention exercises might include responding to different musical cues with music and movement. For example, to practice selective/focused attention a music therapist might have the client drum along to a beat with distractions in the background and a distinct musical cue that indicates stop and start. Another example of an alternating attention exercise might look like clapping if you hear the drum and swaying if you hear the guitar - this requires you to switch your focus between two different sources! Overall, attention exercises are important for improving focus on tasks, filtering out distractions and multitasking. Persons with ADHD often struggle with executive function. Executive function is our ability to plan, organize and make decisions etc. Research suggests that music therapy can improve executive functioning. Improvisational music playing and musical composition can help a client work on these skills in a pleasurable and motivating environment! In order to create a musical composition you have to plan and organize the structure, making decisions about your creation along the way. Finally music can also help with stress management and emotion regulation. Music and progressive muscle relaxation or movement can help calm the body and mind, as well as get rid of excess fidgeting. Improvisational music playing, listening and creating can also provide a means of self-expression in order to regulate one’s emotions. No matter your age - music can help improve attention, reduce hyperactivity and create pleasurable experiences for persons with ADHD. 

Jazz Walia is a third-year undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) program at McMaster University. During the 2023 winter academic semester, she participated in the Room 217 Research Practicum course generously funded by FAVDTR and wrote this blog post as part of her coursework. When I was in my first year of university, just before my first undergraduate assessment, our professor’s only piece of advice was: “Just put on some Mozart 30 minutes before and you’ll be grand.” I initially thought the advice was completely random, but I was convinced it was a hint for a question or even bonus points. Not so shockingly, there were no Mozart questions on the test, but I did end up typing “Mozart” on Spotify 30 minutes before our test and listening to the first classical music playlist I saw. Two years later, my Spotify and YouTube recommendations are filled with playlists called “Calming Music for 12 Hours” or “Classical Test Music.” Music has always provided me with great comfort; however, it is the soft melodic tones of classical music that have transformed my "pre-test ritual." For me, this type of music has always had a calming effect on me whenever I feel stressed, but especially when it comes to mitigating performance anxiety. A quick search on the internet will yield you thousands of results of people searching for the same thing—"calming music"—on various streaming services. Millions of people listen to the likes of Mozart , Bach , Chopin , etc., on platforms such as YouTube and Spotify, begging the question: why exactly does it work? Over the past couple of decades, research into music listening has inspired further exploration into the use of music as an intervention for reducing anxiety. In a recent survey by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 25.1% of survey participants expressed feeling moderate to severe anxiety. In addition, 24.0% of Canadians indicated needing some sort of mental health services but were unable to access them, highlighting the need for accessible services and systems. It’s estimated that only 20% of people experiencing anxiety receive formal interventions , illustrating the need for evidence-based resources. Previous research suggests that music can have a significant effect on endocrine function and autonomic activity, enhancing parasympathetic activities—your body’s "rest and relaxation" state—and reducing respiratory rate and heart rate. In a study by Ubmrello et al ., featuring about 960 critically ill patients, 15 to 60 minutes of music therapy were shown to have a significant effect on reducing anxiety and stress. In a recent review of 21 studies conducted by Harney et al., it was discovered that listening to music had an overall large effect on reducing anxiety. This study was the first of its kind and highlights that while we can see a link between music listening and anxiety, more research needs to be done into important aspects such as music selection, length, setting, and dosage when looking into this relationship. Even if you’re not a fan of the classics, both "fast" and "slow" music have been shown to improve mood. In a study by Darki et al. , 98% of fast music listeners and 99% of slow music listeners reported that music helped manage stress. The study also showed that listening to slow music decreased heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure . Fast music, on the other hand, increases heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Fast music was seen as "uplifting," while slow music was seen as "calming." These feelings of calmness when listening to slow music help showcase why it might be helpful to listen to music in an anxious state. Of course, "slow" music isn’t restricted to just the classics, which arguably can be "fast" at times, but rather music that often features a relaxed pace, a slower tempo, and a simple, repetitive rhythm and melody. Our relationship with music is extremely subjective and unique to our own experiences. It has been shown that music has profound effects on both our physical and mental health; it can serve as a significant non-pharmacological resource to help mitigate anxiety and stress. The internet—most notably YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music—is filled with playlists specifically for mood. Music and video streaming websites are a great place to start when selecting music that works for you and exploring different genres and playlists! Author’s note: Spotify , YouTube , and Apple Music are audio streaming services that can be accessed through the internet or through cellular devices. Creating an account is free and on YouTube, an account is not needed to listen to music.

While certain sights and sounds can remind us of beautiful times, they can also remind us of difficult times, transporting us to a place that we don’t wish to be. Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD occurs when someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event and struggles to recover from it. PTSD can affect someone’s emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being. Although we often associate PTSD with combat veterans, individuals at any age who experience natural disasters, war, violence, historical trauma and even bullying can suffer from PTSD. It's important to know that PTSD is different for everyone. For some PTSD might look like reliving the event through flashbacks and nightmares, while for others it might look like increased emotional distress. PTSD can result in reactive responses to ordinary sounds, as well as isolation from others and avoidance of daily activities for fear of reliving the traumatic event. So how does music come into play? Music is linked to our emotions, whether negative or positive, it has the ability to bring our memories back to life. Think of how playing a song from the past can help an individual with dementia remember memories that are otherwise forgotten. A concept called state-dependent memory can help us explain why. State-dependent memory occurs when material encoded in a particular state is better remembered if the same state is experienced at recall. This applies to both positively and negatively emotionally charged memories. For someone with PTSD, if a specific sound or song mimics that of the traumatic event, it can prompt them to relive it. The part of our brain responsible for our emotional memories is the amygdala. If someone with PTSD experiences a trigger similar to the traumatic event, it can send a signal through their body to activate their fight-or-flight response. The special thing about music is that it can also be used to override the traumatic event and tap into an individual’s positive memories. Music associated with positive memories can then be used to refocus attention and calm the nervous system. Research shows that guided music listening can help regulate emotions, reduce symptoms of PTSD and increase connections among others, especially if in a group. This can help someone with PTSD increase control over their physiological stress symptoms by creating reassuring experiences that encourage trust in oneself and others. Music can also train the brain to increase tolerance to sounds. For example, responding to different musical cues with a triggering sound in the background helps to work on diverting one’s attention and increasing tolerance to triggering sounds.  Whether it be to relax, distract or transport, music can be used to effectively improve the quality of life for individuals living with PTSD.