World Singing Day is a global sing-along held annually on the 3rd Saturday in October. It was founded in 2012 by Scott Johnson. He founded it with the belief that nothing bonds people faster than singing together.
The theme for this year’s Celebration is an upbeat version of “Lean on me” by Bill Withers. People around the world will be singing this song and posting it with the hashtag WSD. Reports shows that this song was chosen in line with the theme of the World Mental Health.
While we celebrate, here are some benefits of singing:
Singing enhances lung function. The way singing requires you to breathe makes increasing your lung capacity as well as engaging the muscles around the ribcage. It is for this reason that it is recommended as a rehabilitation method for people recovering from lung conditions.
Singing helps you beat stress and relax. Studies have shown that when people sing, endorphins and oxytocin are released by the brain which in turn lowers stress and anxiety levels.
Singing helps to improve and strengthen memory. This is because it involves focusing on multiple things at once, engaging many areas of the brain in the process.
Singing as a group builds a sense of community. It also enables young people of different ages and abilities to come together successfully to create something special. It unites people of all races and cultures.
Singing is a form of expression. It is a channel to express oneself while also passing a message. It is a perfect way to express how you feel.
Singing joyful and encouraging songs can help with pain relief and also comfort those who are in distress or in grief. Singing is for everyone, whether you can hold a tone or not. The benefits are still the same.
So…Sing today!