Mental Health Benefits of Singing
It’s almost everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) time of year… “be flooded with everyone’s Spotify Wrapped posts on social media” season. And I’m fully expecting the Wicked soundtrack and Beyoncé to dominate my own list once again. (And happy Wicked: For Good release season to all who celebrate.)
Whether you’re angry, stressed out, jumping for joy, or paralyzed with grief, there’s a song to meet you where you’re at. Singing along helps me regulate, settle my nervous system, and return to a sense of steadiness—and honestly, it just feels good. Singing is an incredibly effective coping skill with real mental health benefits.
Let’s talk about why singing is so powerful.
1. Singing reduces stress in a matter of minutes.
When you sing, you naturally shift into deeper, slower breathing, which instantly signals your nervous system to relax. Stress often pushes us into shallow chest breathing that keeps the body in “fight or flight.” Singing interrupts that pattern. A few minutes of singing can lower cortisol and loosen the tension sitting in your shoulders, jaw, and chest. It’s a nervous system reset disguised as a hobby.
2. It boosts mood through real neurochemical changes.
Singing releases endorphins and dopamine—the brain’s natural mood lifters. This is why singing can feel grounding, energizing, or even euphoric depending on the song. Your brain gets a hit of reward just from participating in music, even if you’re off-key.
3. Singing helps regulate anxiety and overwhelm.
Singing forces your brain to coordinate breath, rhythm, lyrics, and sound all at once. That gentle cognitive demand pulls you out of spiraling thoughts and back into the present moment. The vocal vibration from singing or humming also stimulates the vagus nerve, which supports emotional regulation and calm.
4. Singing increases connection and reduces loneliness.
Humans regulate through each other. Group singing—whether choir, worship, concerts, karaoke, or the chaos of singing with your kids—releases oxytocin, the hormone tied to bonding and trust. Even singing alone with artists who “speak to you” can create a sense of emotional companionship.
5. Singing supports emotional expression and processing.
Music gives us a safe container to feel what we’ve been holding. Singing allows sadness, frustration, nostalgia, grief, joy, or hope to move through the body instead of staying stuck. For many people, it’s an emotional release valve.
Whatever your Spotify Wrapped reveals this year, I hope it reflects a year where you sang boldly, joyfully, and unapologetically. Your voice might be one of your most powerful mental health tools.
Here at Atlanta Wellness Collective, we want to help. For support, contact us or schedule an appointment online.
This blog post was written by Katrina Keebler.
This blog is not intended to substitute professional therapeutic advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health concerns and before starting or stopping therapies. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct professional advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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