Singing in the rain – a joyful way to reduce stress

Published February 20, 2012 | By Amy Brucker

Many people are drawn to self-employment as a way to create meaningful lifework.

Self-employment, though, can also create many opportunities for stress.

Whether the source is the flow of money, a website crash, or an argument with a client, stress can seem like an unwanted guest who lingers long after he’s worn his welcome.

Because stress is so prevalent for self-employed people, it’s essential to have a way to quickly eliminate it. Otherwise, the long-term effects of adrenaline and cortisol, both released during stressful moments, can lead to long-term health risks like heart disease and cancer.

But a more immediate concern is that women do not thrive when adrenaline and cortisol run rampant in their bodies. It depletes our life force, and in general, makes it harder for us to connect with people on a heart level.

And when you’re a service provider, if you’re not connecting with people, it’s difficult going to grow your lifework.

Essentially, too much stress makes it difficult for women to succeed.

Instead, women thrive under conditions that produce oxytocin, or as Dr. Ellie Drake of BraveHeartWomen.com calls it, “the prosperity hormone.”

So how can you have more of this wonderful hormone?

Develop a joyful way to reduce stress

Considering the pros of oxytocin, you might find it helpful to create a rich, fun practice that increases oxytocin in the body.

But if you’re anything like me, adding one more thing to your “to do” list just feels like more stress.

Fortunately, I recently discovered something you might love. (That’s projection on my part because I love my new practice.)

Maybe you’ve heard of it before … it’s called karaoke. On YouTube.com.

Seriously.

Just imagine, you can sing to your heart’s content, from the comfort of your own home office, and no one will ever know!

A friend of mine turned me on to this gem. Here’s a link to the Karaoke Channel on YouTube.

Of course, you can sing to regular ol’ CDs or itune playlists, but it’s not as much fun. Trust me.

How to reduce stress with karaoke

So why is singing so important?

Because believe it or not, singing increases oxytocin, significantly.

According to a study by the National Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health in Stockholm, Sweden, singing significantly increased oxytocin, and elevated joy and elatedness in amateur singers. Both amateur and professional singers felt more energetic and relaxed after singing. Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12814197

Thus my suggestion for tuning into YouTube’s Karaoke channel throughout the day.

Here’s what you might do.

Work for 50-minutes then take a 10 minute break. During your break, sing.

Even one song can be helpful, but beware; you might end up liking it so much you sing 4 or 5!

Is it possible to create stress-free self-employment

I’m not sure if my karaoke trick will help you completely eliminate stress, but just imagine a day filled with joy and elatedness, simply because you took a few minutes to sing.

Your demeanor might even become more magnetic as a result, causing others to be drawn to your charm.

Who knows what might happen. Perhaps you’ll even find yourself going down to your local karaoke club and singing “These Boots are Made for Walkin’.”

The possibilities are endless.

Anyway, how do you relieve your work-day stress?

Share some of your favorite methods in the comment area below.

And go sing!

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  Shari Philpott says:

  February 21, 2012 at 9:33 am

  I love this post, and the idea of singing karaoke to release stress. For me, I love to dance. In the past, I almost never made time for it, but more and more, when I feel down, lack energy, or need to shake something off, I will put on Michael Franti or other music that MOVES and start shakin’ my booty. Even dancing for one or two songs feels great, relieves stress and always elevates my mood.

  Oh, and I usually sing along.

  Reply
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    Amy Brucker says:

    February 21, 2012 at 9:42 am

    Hey Shari – I think there’s a “dance karaoke” playlist on the channel!

    Reply
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  Antoinette Levine says:

  February 21, 2012 at 11:00 am

  Sing impromptu lyrics to Peeka, my teenage tortie calico. Crack up at the quizzical
  look she delivers. And ‘crazy moves’ dancing as well…shakes things up and out!

  *Germinating in Burbank*

  Reply
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  Tracie says:

  February 23, 2012 at 10:24 am

  Amy, I love this post! I have a playlist on my iPod for happy music. “Walking on Sunshine” is one of my favorites for cloudy, gloomy days. If I catch myself feeling blue, I go to this list, and it does help.

  I learned to choose my songs carefully because some music that I really like doesn’t have an uplifting sound or the words aren’t upbeat. For example, I really like “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” but it makes me think of a bad relationship, so it doesn’t go into the happy playlist. (But now I’m going to listen to Nancy belt it out — I can still see her singing this song on TV while sporting white go-go boots. Okay, that’s a happy, silly memory, so maybe I can put it on the happy playlist.)

  Thanks for sharing your ideas! Sometimes I feel so alone in my home office, so it’s nice to hear what other people do to make the day better.

  Reply
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    Amy Brucker says:

    February 23, 2012 at 10:32 am

    That’s a funny point about “These Boots are Made for Walkin’.” I wasn’t paying attention to the lyrics, only the popularity of it at Karaoke clubs! It’s one of the most sung songs. So is, “I Got You Babe.” Talk about polar opposites!

    Reply

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