Researcher: Choral singing gives you showers of happiness

There is not much research done on choir singing, says Töres Theorell.

- But there are a lot of studies done on how you and your body work and there is a lot you can influence to sing in chorus, says the professor.

Doing something fun and having something to look forward to each week is such an important factor for well-being, according to Töres Theorell.

There is also a study, which he participated in and conducted, which shows that people who sing once a week in comparison to talking to each other have a greater positive effect of the song.

In the US, a study was also done that showed that the health of old people improved in those who sang in chorus.

The physical breathing used in choral singing, abdominal breathing, according to Töres Theorell, should activate the vagus nerve, which in turn acts as a stress brake. And music in general goes quickly into the emotional brain and can surprise us with strong experiences that can make us think about life.

- Such experiences can also give us small showers of happiness hormones, says Töres Theorell.

This sounds very nice. Is there anything negative about choral singing?

- Of course it does. It's not always fun in a chorus. If you have a sore throat just that day or think that the person next door is singing way too fake. But it may not be something that is directly dangerous to health. You can change chores too, says Töres Theorell.