Create a sing along

If you are worried about getting together with family members over the holidays given the tension around the election, one thing you can do is create a sing along. I just learned about the benefits of singing together (which are amazing) and the holidays seem a perfect time to put it into practice.

(I first heard this from Carrie Newcomer, a folk singer.)

According to the London Singing Institute, singing has both individual benefits and group benefits. Individually, singing helps increase endorphins and oxytocin, which help create feelings of well-being. It can reduce anxiety and reduce stress levels. Singing also increases your oxygen levels, which increases feelings of alertness.

But singing together has an even more amazing effect. It can create a sense of group cohesion, which may relate to the fact that the heart rates of a group singing together tend to synchronize.

So plan a sing along at your holiday meal! Report back what happens, I am anxious to hear.