Singing in the shower does not require the voice of Whitney Houston or Freddy Mercury, it is equally beneficial. In fact, you’ve probably noticed that your voice sounds better in the bathroom, which is because the acoustics in the bathroom are perfect for hosting a small private concert.
Why in the bathroom and not in another room?
The tiles on the walls do not absorb sound, which means that your voice bounces off before completely shutting down. It is estimated that in the bathroom, sound waves can vibrate approximately 100 times per second. Therefore, you can hear your voice longer than in a normal room.
Also, since bathrooms are usually small spaces, the voice acquires a deeper sound and enhances the bass tones , making it sound more powerful. That communion of factors is what makes your voice better enough while singing in the shower. However, the most interesting thing is not the sound effects that can feed your ego making you believe that you are a good singer, but the incredible psychological benefits of that simple act.
Singing in the shower improves your mood
It doesn’t matter if you sing in the shower early in the morning before going to work, or when you come home at night, in either case music can improve your mood. When you sing, your brain releases endorphins, neurotransmitters related to relaxation that also reduce the perception of pain.
Singing also promotes the release of dopamine , a neurotransmitter that creates a pleasant sensation of pleasure and satisfaction . The key is that music acts directly on the limbic system, especially the amygdala, the structure responsible for processing emotions. Therefore, singing is an excellent strategy to bypass the control of the prefrontal lobes that keep us worried and tense, to relieve tension and stress, reaching a state of relaxation.
Decreases the level of cortisol, the stress hormone
A recent study conducted at Tsurumi University revealed that singing is a perfect activity for synchronizing vegetative functions such as blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate. These researchers asked the participants to sing three songs in a row, for just 3 minutes.
After that time, they again measured his vital signs, taking saliva and blood samples. They found that there was a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, pacing with breathing. In addition, they showed lower levels of cortisol in their blood, the stress hormone. Those people also reported feeling more comfortable and relaxed.
Facilitates deep breathing by clearing the mind of worries
Breathing is a key function that we tend to neglect. We normally breathe shallow and short, which does not facilitate oxygenation. When we sing that process is reversed, we generally breathe deeply , which improves oxygenation at all levels of the body.
When we add the effect of water, which has a revitalizing action, we can understand why a shower can become so regenerative. In fact, some researchers have even equated the psychological and physical benefits of singing in the shower with the effects of meditation. It is not strange, because when we sing in an environment where we feel comfortable and we know that nobody is going to judge us, we simply enjoy it and empty our worries.