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Top 5 Reasons to Sing Out your Stress

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When people find out that I’m a music therapist, the comments I hear most often are “I wish I could sing!” or “Oh, I love to sing, but I’m not good enough to do it in front of anyone”. Some of these people tell me that, as children, a parent, teacher or someone else told them that they should just mouth the words because they didn’t have a good enough voice.

Singing is our birthright! Singing is a natural and pure expression of how glad we feel to be alive, and the way we show our love of music. Here are my top five reasons to sing out your stress:

1. To connect with your body: We sing with our whole bodies. Because singing is so connected to closely with breath, singing helps us “be in our bodies” and let go of the thinking (or worrying) we do much of the day. Singing can be a joyful activity and can release endorphins (those feel-good chemicals that the body creates).

2. To connect with yourself: Meditative toning, singing along to a favourite song or simply humming to yourself are all ways to tap into your inner landscape and see what‘s going on in there.

3. To connect with others: Singing with other people – in meditation, prayer, at a sing-along, at a concert, or even over the telephone or Internet – helps us experience in a very deep way that we are all truly connected.

4. To express your feelings: Many times a singer, songwriter or composer has expressed our feelings in a way we could never have – if there’s a song that expresses what you want or need to say, try singing along (keep in mind that this is just for you and it’s not about “sounding good“).

5. To boost your good feelings: Whatever you focus on, you’ll invite more of into your life. You can choose uplifting, joyful and celebratory songs to sing.

So sing out! Be proud of your own unique voice. Experiment with what works for you – keep a journal of what you notice in your mind and body when you sing specific songs. Then you can choose the right song for the right moment and make use of the power of singing in your own life.

Linda Dessau, BFA, MTA, CPCC is a self-care expert, accredited music therapist and certified life coach. Learn more about using singing for stress management, personal growth and spiritual development at http://www.singoutyourstress.com, where you can download the FREE report, “Top 10 Ways to Sing Out Your Stress”.

3 Reasons Your Computer Chairs Break

Sadly, it’s not uncommon to have computer chairs snap under you. You might not even be that heavy, but chairs just aren’t made as well these days! Remember back when they were all metal? Those suckers withstood anything. These days, plastic is all you’ll find in most computer chairs. Overweight people tend to have even more problems since chairs often last only a few weeks before something breaks.

While you can keep using the chair without an arm or even if the back cracks and ends up at a weird angle (yes, this happens to many of us!), once the support column or one of the wheels or base legs goes, you’re pretty much hooped. Many people cobble together Frankenchairs, made from a base that still functions with a seat that is still intact, just to save a bit of money. It might seem silly, but if you have computer chairs break on you every couple of months, this is what happens.

So, why do your chairs break? Here are three main reasons:

1. It’s not built for weight. Most computer chairs are designed to withstand 150-200 lbs. So, if you weigh anything over that, your chair isn’t going to last very long. That’s why you might want to look at computer chairs for overweight people, which can be rated for up to 500 lbs.

2. The material is poorly made. Unfortunately, there aren’t many high standards in the world of office chairs. Overweight people have discovered that plastic simply isn’t designed to withstand much weight . . . it twists and bends and eventually cracks under the stress. These chairs are often stamped out of low cost plastic, which is not sturdy enough.

3. You move too much. When a computer chair is working properly, it will roll smoothly over the floor. However, poorly built chairs can’t hold up to the weight. They will sink down, essentially crushing the wheels against the caps and the wheels won’t roll. When this happens, you will end up jerking the chair to move it and that puts extra stress on the already fragile joints.

Often it’s a combination of these three factors that causes a computer chair to give way. You will want to make sure that you choose your chair very carefully. There are a number of designs in computer chairs for overweight people that will hold more and resist more action. Even if you aren’t obese, choosing a sturdier chair can be a good investment in the long run.

Are you looking for an office chair that won’t snap under your weight? Computer chairs for overweight people are designed to last longer without breaking, so they’re a great investment.

Top 5 Reasons to Sing Out your Stress

3 Reasons Your Computer Chairs Break

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