Calm in Chaos

Now more than ever, we are all feeling the effects of stress in our everyday lives. Not only can stress negatively affect our well-being on a day-to-day basis, but it can also lead to long-term physical and mental health challenges. If you’re experiencing things like brain fog, tiredness, and lack of motivation, you’re not alone. The ongoing experience of the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge we are all facing together! If you’re looking for ways to cultivate calm and clarity during this tumultuous time, here are some tips that may help.

  1. Introduce Novelty – Have you ever seen a frightening or disheartening news story and wanted to disengage from it, but found it next to impossible to stop watching or reading? This is because our brains naturally crave novelty! When something is new and different, our attention is immediately pulled to it. This mechanism helps protect us by keeping us alert to potential dangers, but it can also lead to increased stress. In regards to COVID, we may find it difficult to disengage from the news or social media. Trying to simply turn off the news or close the tab often proves ineffective, not because we lack willpower, but because it goes against how our brains are wired to behave. One way to help mitigate this effect is to introduce another form of novelty to shift our attention away. Watching a funny video or listening to interesting music can help replace the new, exciting sensory input our brains crave while helping to relieve stress and improve our mood.
  2. Get Oxygen Flowing – Things like gentle movement and deep breathing might seem small, but they can be remarkably helpful when we feel burned out and overwhelmed. Moving our bodies and taking deep breaths both provide fresh oxygen to our brains, which helps us think more clearly, solve problems more easily, and manage our emotions. Try taking a couple of minutes to walk around, gently stretch, or just take a few slow, deep breaths. Some people may find it helpful to set a few reminders over the course of a busy day.
  3. Try a small, Achievable Task – When we’re feeling stressed, burnt out, and overwhelmed, even small tasks may feel insurmountable. One way to help with this can be setting a small, easily achievable task that creates a feeling of productivity and energy when completed. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by a backlog of emails, try answering one that only needs a short, easy response. If you need to clean your kitchen, try just wiping down the countertops. You can even write the task down on paper or in your phone, then check it off when it’s completed. It might feel a bit silly, but it can help break the anxiety cycle and propel the day forward.
  4. Give yourself permission to Feel Your Feelings – While we may use these techniques and many others to reduce or prevent “negative” emotions, it is just as necessary to allow ourselves to feel them fully when the time is right. Try to give yourself permission to express strong emotions rather than repress them – cry, vent to a friend, or sing along to music that matches how you feel. We all deserve the space and time to express our feelings, whatever they may be.

We hope you find these tips helpful! While we can’t completely avoid stress and worry, small steps like these can help us lead healthier and happier lives. Our team wishes you a safe, fun, and joyful 2022!

Happy New Year!

We want to take a moment during this busy week back to work and wish you a Happy New Year! We truly hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and feel excited and inspired to begin another year. But … maybe you don’t feel excited or inspired. Maybe you feel anxious, stressed, burned out, or depressed.

If you feel that you are stuck and need help moving forward or moving on from something, our team is here for those very reasons. Please reach out any time to find out if Music Therapy is exactly what you or your loved one has been needing.

If you want to see what we were up to in December, meet our new intern, or watch Bailey’s Bell Choir performance, you can find all of that in our latest Newsletter here.

 

DIY Music Therapy Instruments

The Covid-19 pandemic has created the new “normal” of staying home and social distancing. While we’re remaining safe and doing our part by staying indoors when possible, boredom can still strike. The pandemic has shown us how important it is to find novel, creative outlets for ourselves. 

Have you ever thought of making your own instruments at home? Well, now is your chance! Below are a few common instruments that music therapists use in our sessions. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to make your very own DIY music therapy instruments for yourself or your kiddos. 

  1. Egg Shakers

Do you have extra plastic Easter eggs laying around? If so, you’re in luck! Egg shakers are easy, portable instruments to make that sound great with any song. You will need…

-Plastic Easter eggs

-A filler (rice, popcorn seeds, dry beans, etc.)

-Tape

-Stickers (not required, but a fun addition)

Fill the plastic eggs with the filler of your choice. Be aware of the small holes that usually are found at the end of your eggs so that your filler does not sneak out. Fill one half of the egg about halfway full considering you’ll want to leave room for the filler to move around and create the “shaker” sound. You’re almost done! Make sure to seal the eggs with tape (Scotch tape works) to ensure the filler doesn’t make a mess at home. Feel free to decorate your plastic shakers afterward with colorful stickers or use markers to draw fun designs! Enjoy!

  1. Drum

We’re all rhythmic and rely on a steady beat. Take your heartbeat and breathing for example! Now you can play along to a steady beat at home with DIY drums! Check and see if you have any of these items on hand…

-Empty coffee, soup, Pringles cans (the bigger the better in my opinion!)

-Balloons (7-9in.)

-Rubber bands

It’s pretty simple…take the empty can you have available, place the balloon over the opening of the can to cover the entire circular face, and secure with a rubber band! Using numerous sizes of cans will create different sounds for each. All you need now are two items to work as drum sticks and you’re all set!

Ready for an even easier option? Leftover oversized paint buckets work perfectly! Flip them over to use the bottom as your drum face and play away. This will give the drum a deeper, louder sound compared to the “can drums” up above. Lowes and Home Depot have these available for under $5!

  1. Tambourine

The final instrument to add to your “at home band.” Tambourines are great to take on-the-go or dance around the house with. This DIY instrument is a little more complex, but still uses common, household items. Look for…

-2 Paper plates

-String/Yarn

-Hole punch

-Jingle bells

-Anything else needed to decorate

Put the two paper plates face to face while punching holes around the perimeter. Taking your yarn, weave it through a hole around the outside of the plate and back through that same hole to create a knot. Once you do this, you’ll be able to take your jingle bell and string it through the yarn. You can include a jingle bell on every hole or skip a few depending on how loud you’d like your tambourine to sound. Once you return to the original hole, tie off the yarn and you’re almost ready to play! Feel free to personalize the tambourine however you’d like! 

Ready, set, make music!

Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

With the recent news of the events in Afghanistan, we know that Veterans are hurting, feeling overwhelmed, and may be triggered by what they see and hear on the news and social media. Our team was honored to provide an online Music & Wellness session for Veterans this week.

The Metro Music Therapy team spoke for a few minutes, sharing ways to decompress, de-stress, and to set oneself and their loved ones up for success when life feels out of control.

After the speaking portion, one of our team members led the participants in a live music and relaxation exercise, wherein each attendee participated in the way that they felt most comfortable.

We hope you enjoy a glimpse into our Music & Wellness Session for Veterans, which took place on August 24th. Thank you to all who attended (both those pictured and not pictured)!

“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival 

Online Wellness Session for Veterans

Veterans are Hurting.

With the recent news of the events in Afghanistan, we know that Veterans are hurting, feeling overwhelmed, and may be triggered by what they see and hear on the news and social media. Our team is inviting Veterans to join us online on Tuesday, August 24th @ 8:00pm for a free Music & Wellness session.

The Metro Music Therapy team will be speaking for a few minutes, sharing ways to decompress, de-stress, and to set yourself and your loved ones up for success when life feels out of control.

After the speaking portion, one of our team members will lead the participants in a live music and relaxation exercise, wherein each attendee can participate in the way that they feel most comfortable.

Veterans of all ages are welcome to attend – please share this information within your personal and professional circles!

Registration is FREE and must be completed to gain access to the Zoom call — Registration closes at 1pm eastern on August 24th!

REGISTER NOW

A Pandemic of Grief

One year ago the Covid-19 pandemic startled the world. With over 30 million cases recorded to date, the pandemic has caused a drastic shift in our everyday living. Will life ever be “normal” again? While that question still remains, one thing is known; grief has impacted all of our lives in some way.

Grief is defined as “the natural response to losing someone or something that is important to you.” Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also has physical, behavioral, cognitive, cultural, social, spiritual and philosophical dimensions as well. Losses such as a loved one, financial and job related losses, the feeling of normalcy, social and familial interaction, and certain freedoms we may have taken for granted have caused grief to be present in our current lives. Anxiety, depression, sadness, loneliness, and hopelessness are all common symptoms that can accompany grief.

While this is still a difficult time for many, Metro Music Therapy is here to provide ongoing support and comfort. Our experienced staff understand the difficulty and uniqueness of each circumstance faced by our clients. Metro recognizes that grief has no timeline and that your feelings and thoughts are valid. You are not alone.

If you or someone you know are interested in our grief and loss services, please visit the contact tab on our website to fill out our client intake form. You can also call us at 404.510.3799 if you have any further questions.

 

Why Music?

One of the strengths that music holds is that it can encourage, uplift and support. It can and does at times remind us of better days ahead and that we have the internal strength to get to those better days.

But I also believe that, unlike most other things in this world, music has the power to meet us where we are in the dark and deeply sorrowful places. It validates our feelings and acknowledges them without the push to also remind us of the good ahead. Music can just sit with us, free of judgement and opinion, and instead of saying, “this too shall pass,” say, “this hurts so much.”

The power and science behind music therapy comes from knowing what we need from music and when.

We are with you, and we are for you. Let us know how we can help you.

Holiday Gift Guide!

 

We frequently have parents and grandparents ask us for recommendations of instruments and other gifts for their loved ones who participate in music therapy or music lessons with us.

In order to make the holidays a bit easier this year, we are proud to present our
Holiday Gift Guide for the music lover in your life!

Happy Shopping!

MMT SINGING GRAMS:

  • During this season of isolation, send the gift of connection and community through song to a loved one, friend, or co-worker! {Order here}

STUDIO PTC GIFT CARDS:

  • Studio PTC Gift Cards come in increments of 4 lessons, and can be purchased simply by emailing us @ mallory @ metromusictherapyga.com!

BEGINNER GUITARS:

INTERMEDIATE + ADVANCED GUITARS:

UKULELES:

KEYBOARDS // DIGITAL PIANOS:
{You want 88 weighted keys, a stand, a sustain pedal,
and the least amount of extra buttons possible!}

AUXILLARY PERCUSSION:

Items to avoid: anything sold in a toy store or that looks and feels like a toy! If the music lover in your life wants to learn to how to play an instrument, the best way to keep them motivated is to make sure they learn on a quality instrument that sounds nice when played, and that will stay in tune! 

Military Suicide Up 20%

Six-months into this “new norm,” and everything still feels very strange and heavy.

On the way to my office this morning, I heard these statistics on the radio, and I had to take a minute to wrap my head around these numbers that were screaming out to me over the car stereo:

Military suicides have increased by as much as 20% this year compared to the same period in 2019 …

And senior Army leaders — who say they’ve seen about a 30% jump in active duty suicides so far this year — told The Associated Press that they are looking at shortening combat deployments … *

Last year, the suicide rates, 20% lower than now, were still too high and unacceptable. It is overwhelming to think of each and every one of the lives that have been tragically changed because of these statistics.

I do not have all of the answers, and these situations can be so complicated; but I do know that music therapy services can help our active-duty military members and veterans. Not only does our field have the research to show this, but we have firsthand anecdotal evidence that music therapy can improve overall well-being and the outlook for the sometimes long road ahead.

Our team provides in-person and telehealth music therapy services for Veterans and active duty military personnel, and we are also very proud to partner with Music Therapy of the Rockies, a non-profit very near and dear to us who provides Songwriting Retreats for Veterans with PTSD.

If you or a loved-one is struggling due to military-related trauma, please know that we can help — no matter where you are. Our team now provides telehealth services to clients all over the globe, and we would be honored to walk alongside you during this crucial time.

With you in the hard times and the good,

 

 

 

 

*Read the full article from WSB News & Talk here.

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