Let’s start off with a self-care practice that’s near to my heart, music. I’ve been learning the harp for four years and have found that playing is a wonderful way to de-stress. It is also one of the things I routinely do when I think I’m hungry, but know that it’s definitely not time to eat.
Trying a new instrument, or returning to an old one, can be an effective activity for weight maintenance.
Playing an instrument will immerse you in a different world and can totally occupy your mind and body. You tend to forget about life’s challenges when your focus is on music. In addition, it uses energy/calories, as I find I get noticeably warmer after I’ve played for awhile.
There are many simple and folk instruments that you can learn to play. Some can be picked up using just an instruction book, but there are also many videos available to help. These instruments include: dulcimer, ukulele, bongos, kalimba thumb piano, singing bowls, lyre, psaltery, therapy harp, recorder, and harmonica. I’m sure I’ve left many out! Are there any you’ve tried?
Some of these you can make yourself. In fact there is a wonderful company we have bought kits from and have successfully assembled, Musicmakers (1). I’ve included a photo of my favorite, the Reverie Harp, which is very therapeutic to both play and hear (2). It requires no instruction as it’s intuitive to play.
But you can also get many of the same effects by listening to music. Kiki Eli has some helpful suggestions for creating a Happy Playlist (3). There is a great bonus to making your own playlist, as you get to listen to all of your favorites while creating it! Here is a concise version of her steps, as described in The Complete Guide to Self Care:
- Brainstorm about songs that lift your spirits, then go through your music collection.
- Include songs that you enjoy listening to when you’re happy.
- Create your digital playlist using an app that will be easy to edit and reorder.
Speaking of apps, I use Spotify, which already has happy mixes and playlists. I’ve used them on road-trips and they work wonders for my stress level! Creating your own list is more suited to your preferences, but in a pinch a ready-made list will do.
Here are some ideas to consider when selecting music to play on your favorite instrument or to listen to whenever you can fit it into your schedule. It’s great to employ these ideas when selecting workout music as well!
- A recent study which took place in a café has shown that listening to quieter music (55 decibels as opposed to 70) leads to consuming healthier foods. This is regardless of music genre (4).
- A similar effect was found in a grocery store study. That is, when the store played louder music, customers purchased more unhealthy foods (4).
- When students in a cafeteria listened to no music (silence), their choices were similar to the loud music group (4).
- If you listen to music while you exercise, you will likely exercise longer (5).
- Research has shown that if you exercise to music that you personally know, your workout will be even longer (5).
- Dr. Andrew Minigutti suggests that we “Pick the year you graduated high school, subtract two years and then Google the top 100 songs for that year. Pick six and load” into the device or app of your choice (5). This seems to be under the assumption that we were healthier in our youth. If this doesn’t apply to your situation, you might want to choose a happier or healthier time in your life.
So here are some options for you: quiet and calm playlists during meals and food shopping, nostalgic playlists for exercise, and happy playlists for other times. Pick up a new folk instrument or go back to one you left behind in your youth. Any of these will be a help on your maintenance journey.
Whatever you choose, bring more music into your life. You are worth the time and energy this takes and you will be healthier for it!
(1). https://www.harpkit.com/folk-instruments
(2). https://www.harpkit.com/reverie-harp
(3). The Complete Guide to Self Care by Kiki Ely (c) 2020.
(4). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321922
(5). https://methodistmckinneyhospital.com/the-key-to-exercise-and-weight-maintenance-is-music/
Maintain Weight Loss 
My story is that my whole life I always ate way too much. Even if I was full I would still eat sometimes to the point of feeling very unwell. It is very difficult to not eat when all you think about is food. I just got diagnosed with N.A.S.H. I am at stage 4 of fibrosis heading toward cirrhosis of the liver all due to my out of control eating of not just food but fatty fast foods. I put myself in a very bad situation but that’s always what I do. My wife bought me an alto saxophone in 2017 but we had to sell it less than a year later to replace a hot water heater. My wife told me in 2021 to buy another alto saxophone and get back into playing and I did. I also started watching saxophone videos on YouTube. Playing the sax and watching the videos has helped me not eat as much. Playing the sax and watching the videos helped unlock my creativity I thought I did not have. Pick a hobby and if you really like it really dive into it. It really will help with weight loss and diet. Thank you for listening to me.
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Not sure why the software replaced my heart with a question mark. But anyway, keep up with your plan and your saxophone!
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You are so right! I’m glad you found a hobby that you love and it’s helping with your healthy goals. Keep going, and things will improve ❤️🩹 Try not to be negative about what you – and basically all of us – have done in the past. You are moving in the right direction!
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