Let’s talk about Whistling (or how little things bring joy in life)
This article’s important…seriously. We’ve talked about some pretty complex mental health issues on this website before, but why, you may ask, are you including an article about whistling? I’ll explain…
There’s something very important behind what may first appear as a trivial activity, and once you see (or hear?) about it, it may make sense and change your life. Many simple activities, that don’t have any cost or need any equipment, are still able to have a profound effect on our bodies and brains. One is…whistling.
My wife and I have some friends, Don and Chris Wise, that we’ve known since our 1970’s college years at Abilene Christian University. In our last phone call with them, they shared a fascinating story. They’ve always been whistlers, which we didn’t know. We did know they are artists, musicians, writers of The Beginner’s Bible for children, and highly creative people.
As a couple, they would whistle together, harmonizing some of their favorite songs.
They told us the story of how they were painting some interior house trim for a client, and without thinking, began whistling together in the quiet house. Whistling made the work go faster. Afterwards, the client told them how inspiring it had been and that she ‘felt better’ just hearing Chris and Don’s whistling! The client asked them if they would be willing to visit a small church, whistle, share scriptures and a brief lesson. Understandably, it made Don and Chris nervous as they had no idea what kind of reception they’d receive.
Chris and Don love whistling, accepted the invitation and prepared inspirational thoughts to share. But even they were amazed at the response. The crowd went WILD!
The people were inspired. By whistling. Who would have guessed? The churchgoers excitedly told their friends about the service, things picked up speed, one thing led to another…and now Chris and Don have created a whistling ministry that brings them, and others, joy. They call themselves the “Wise Whistlers” (based on their last name, and their passion for whistling). They go from church to church and have received invitations to whistle in front of small congregations of fifty people, as well as mega-churches of over five thousand. Listen to their renditions of “Whistle while you work” and “Hallelujah” and “I’ve got a mansion.”
The most important aspect of our passions is the reason we find the activity joyful, the why.
With the Wise Whistlers, they discovered their love of music and whistling easily traveled with them, they could whistle just about anywhere. Whistling made their steps lighter, provided a rhythm that lifted their hearts and mood, reinforced their faith, and brought them closer together.
So, what does that have to do with our mental health? Why does whistling matter? Those questions inspired me to dig deeper and find out! I’ve always urged others to do what they love doing, the things they are naturally good at, which helps them beat depression and lifts mood.
But our friends stumbled upon a secret that could help EVERYONE. They weren’t looking for a ministry, weren’t looking for fame or acclaim. They did something they loved, a little, seemingly inconsequential thing. Yet through that passion, managed to find success, not because the thing they were doing were particularly popular at the time, but because they loved doing it and kept doing it! Their passion of whistling, when shared, inspired others.
They did it because they loved it. It was fun. It brought them joy. It allowed them to share their faith, love of music, and time with others, and each other.
Think about that for a bit. It doesn’t have to be whistling. Personally, I never learned how to do it, but there is SOMETHING that you love to do, something that’s fun and feels easy. (Click here for that thought, an article “What brings me joy?” thing). THAT THING IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. And you should do it more. You should do it better. Let’s talk about what that means.
We may not set out to become the Rising Stars of the International Whistling World. That is an extremely niche skill that appeals to an extremely niche audience. Rather, we whistle (sing, dance, knit, run, yodel, etc.,) because it brings us joy. It brightens the time we spend doing it, even if we do it while we’re doing something else, to pass the time. That joy, that little thrill, can drive us to perform better at the tasks we want to achieve, but that’s not the priority, either. Instead, what we’re going to try to do is lock down an attitude that allows us to just REVEL IN THE JOY.
Whistling also be relaxing, lower blood pressure, be a distraction for people who have a ‘lot going on’ or for those who have to ‘think a lot’. Whistling can both help us concentrate or serve as a distraction. For some, it is musical, and carries the same power (& stimulus) that music does. Some interesting research on shepherds in the Canary Islands (who herd their flocks by whistling) may indicate bi-lateral brain stimulation which causes the brain to recreate brain movement between left/right, logical/emotive sides of the brain. It may be one of the reasons whistling reduces tension and stress. Whistling may be quite cerebral and healthy for the brain.
Strangely, there are also other physical reasons why whistling might improve our moods and lift our spirits. Whistling helps distract us from fears or worries and gives us increased confidence, security and bravery. A pretty good deal, especially if that works even if you are a lousy whistler. The famous American composer, Henri Mancini, composed the musical score and lyrics for “Whistling Away the Dark” (Click here to listen), understanding that whistling helps decrease feelings of fear.
One of my wife’s precious memories of her father is of him happily whistling as he worked on his farm. His whistling tunes weren’t discernable songs, and his style was that he ‘whistled through his teeth’. It was the whistling itself that made her, and others who heard him, smile. When he was whistling, she knew he was happy.
Whistling pulls oxygen into our bodies, increases blood flow, improves mood, and releases stress. Whistling requires deep and controlled breathing, something that each of us can develop. Remember how therapists always tell you to ‘Breathe deeply and count to ten” as a way to handle stress, anger, or fear? That controlled breathing (called ‘diaphragmatic breathing’) is important for both mind and body. Doctors even encourage people to use that whistle-type of deep-breathing to increase lung capacity, especially if dealing with COPD. (COPD is chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, the third leading cause of death in the U.S.). Just think about it…if people with COPD began whistling, even if difficult initially, it might lighten their mood. As they became stronger, could it help decrease breathing difficulties? I wonder…
And this is a pretty neat fact about whistling: it strengthens and tones the face, check, lip and neck muscles! It prevents the look of aging. That alone is obviously a reason I should begin whistling immediately and a lot (!). Just like a singer whose ‘tool’ is their voice-box and which they exercise daily, a whistler will whistle daily. Maybe whistling could even help some people toss out a few of those anti-ageing creams and serums?
That last paragraph alone is enough to encourage us to slap some chap-stick on our lips, pucker up and start whistling!
