Caroling Is Good for Your Health, Study Finds

If you’re anything like us, you love singing along to Christmas songs at home, in the car, and pretty much anywhere with a music player! The holiday season is the perfect time for festive tunes, and we refuse to let any Scrooges or Grinches lower our enthusiasm. Now, it seems like science is suggesting that we’re on the right track.

A recent study, published in Perspectives in Public Health, provided “confirmatory evidence to support choral singing as a means of improving wellbeing.” Researchers studied self-reported data from 1,779 choir members around the world, and the findings were more than promising. The study’s participants claimed that making beautiful music as a group fostered social connection, cognitive stimulation, mental health, enjoyment, and transcendence.

Learning that something you love to do for fun is actually good for your mental health is always a great pick-me-up. But the most recent findings aren’t the only benefits you get from singing “Jingle Bell Rock” at the top of your lungs with all your family and friends. Past studies have showcased not only the mental health benefits of singing, but also the social benefits: an improved sense of self and social connections. Another study found that singing might help elderly people in particular improve both their mental wellbeing and their oral condition — regardless of whether or not the folks in question actually like singing.

So the next time someone tries to dim the light of your holiday spirit, just tell them about the health benefits you’re getting from singing loudly and proudly — and all the good stuff they could be getting too, if they joined you. Don’t be surprised if they suddenly start singing along!

h/t Good Housekeeping