Why singing with friends feels better than singing alone
Changes in mood, oxytocin, and cortisol following group and individual singing: A pilot study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Singing with others makes people feel happier and releases a bonding hormone called oxytocin. Singing alone doesn't make people feel happier or release that hormone, but both ways of singing help reduce stress.
Surprising Findings
Singing alone didn’t improve mood—even though it lowered stress.
Most assume singing is inherently mood-boosting; this shows the social element is non-negotiable for emotional uplift.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to boost your mood, sing with others—join a choir, karaoke night, or even Zoom sing-along.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Singing with others makes people feel happier and releases a bonding hormone called oxytocin. Singing alone doesn't make people feel happier or release that hormone, but both ways of singing help reduce stress.
Surprising Findings
Singing alone didn’t improve mood—even though it lowered stress.
Most assume singing is inherently mood-boosting; this shows the social element is non-negotiable for emotional uplift.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to boost your mood, sing with others—join a choir, karaoke night, or even Zoom sing-along.
Publication
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Claims (5)
When people sing, their body produces less of the stress hormone cortisol, which might help them feel calmer.
People who sing with others tend to feel better emotionally than those who sing alone, which might mean that singing with friends or a group makes you happier.
When people sing together in a group, their bodies might release more of a feel-good chemical called oxytocin—but when they sing alone, this doesn’t happen. That suggests it’s the social part of singing together that boosts the chemical.
Whether you sing alone or with others, singing might help lower your stress hormones — so it’s the singing itself, not who you’re with, that could be calming your body.
When people sing, their oxytocin (a feel-good hormone) goes up, and they tend to feel better—but their stress hormone (cortisol) doesn’t seem to change much, so maybe oxytocin is the real reason singing makes us happier.