Wellbeing Wednesday: Reclaiming Your Voice. The Healing Power of Singing

Welcome back to Wellbeing Wednesday. As we move deeper into December, the air is filled with music. But there is a tragedy happening in our modern world that has been worrisome to me and I see in all aspects of my work: we have professionalised something that was always meant to be communal.

We’ve become a society of “listeners” rather than “singers.” We buy the albums, we watch the talent shows, and we compare our voices to autotuned perfection. Somewhere along the way, we started believing that if we don’t have a “good” voice, we shouldn’t use it at all. But what is “good”? Who is to judge a level of “good” when we all have such different tastes?

This Christmas, it’s time to reclaim our voices. Singing together is not about performance; it’s about connection, health, and humanity.

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Why Singing Together is Biological Magic

Singing isn’t just a creative outlet; it is a physiological “reset button” for your entire system. When we sing in a group, whether it’s singing with your family or your friends on a karaoke, singing in a choir, or just joining in with a congregation at church, incredible things happen to our bodies:

• The Vagus Nerve Hack: Singing requires deep, controlled breathing, which stimulates the vagus nerve. This instantly lowers your heart rate and shifts your nervous system from “fight or flight” into “rest and digest.”
• The Natural High: Singing releases a cocktail of feel-good chemicals: endorphins (which reduce pain) and oxytocin (the “cuddle hormone” that fosters trust and bonding).
• Heartbeat Syncing: Fascinatingly, studies show that when people sing together, their heartbeats actually begin to synchronize. You aren’t just singing the same song; you are physically becoming one rhythmic unit.

Breaking the “Professional” Barrier

We need to stop asking, “Can I sing?” and start asking, “Am I breathing?” If you have a breath, you have a voice…. and no, you don’t have to magically transform your breat trying to kickstart any involuntary muscles, just relax and trust your bodies instincts.

For centuries, singing was how communities processed grief, celebrated harvest, and bonded through long winters. It was organic, raw, and unpolished. By making singing “professional,” we have inhibited ourselves. We worry about being flat or sharp, but in a community setting, there is no such thing as a wrong note; only a shared one.

When you sing with others, your individual voice blends into a collective “wall of sound.” The pressure to be perfect vanishes, replaced by the sheer joy of vibration and resonance.

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Christmas: The Ultimate Season of Song

Christmas provides the perfect “permission slip” to sing. It is the one time of year when the barrier between the stage and the audience disappears.

• A Sense of Belonging: In a season that can feel lonely for many, singing in a group provides an immediate sense of community. You are part of something larger than yourself.
• A Bridge Across Generations: When we sing carols, we are singing the same melodies our grandparents and great-grandparents sang. It is a form of “Hiraeth”; a vocal bridge that connects us to our history and those we’ve lost.
• Physical Vitality: In the cold, dark days of December, the physical act of singing warms the body, expands the lungs, and boosts the immune system.

Your “No-Inhibition” Plan

How can you reclaim your voice this week?

1. Ignore the “Critic” in Your Head: That voice telling you you’re “tone deaf” is usually a ghost from a childhood music lesson, or some individual who decided to feel good they would disempower you (believe me, I’ve known them!!!) Silence that voice, speak to yourself as you would your best friend, and remember, your voice is a tool for expression, not a product for sale.
2. Join In Loudly: The next time you are at a holiday event, church service, or even a rowdy pub singalong, don’t mouth the words. Let the sound out.
3. Host a “Christmas Kitchen Caroloke”: You don’t need a stage. Get family or a friend over and sing while you bake or wrap gifts together.
4. Focus on the Feeling, Not the Sound: Notice the vibration in your chest and the way your lungs feel expanded afterward. That physical feeling is the “wellbeing” at work.

This Christmas, let’s stop being spectators of our own culture. Raise your voice, lose the inhibitions, and feel the profound healing that happens when we simply breathe and sing together.

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Where is your favourite place to sing during the holidays? Tell us in the comments!