Why Singing Feels So Good When You Have ADHD

Okay, can I just say this? I have ADHD — and singing is basically my whole life. It’s how I work, how I calm down, how I process things... and honestly, it’s just how I exist.

For a long time, I thought that was just my thing. Until I started noticing the same pattern in other people: students, friends, people online.

I’d hear things like: “I always hum when I’m anxious.”“Singing helps me focus.”“I make weird little sounds all the time.”

And I’d think... Wait, you do that too??

Turns out, it’s not just me. And it’s not just you either. There’s something really powerful about how singing connects with ADHD brains.

So let’s talk about it. Not in a clinical way. Not in a "5 Tips to Fix Your Brain" way. Let’s just have a conversation.

Wait... why am I always making noise? Ever catch yourself humming while you cook? Singing while walking around the house? Making little noises when you're trying to concentrate?

You're not weird. You're regulating.

It might feel like a random habit, but it’s actually one of the most natural ways our ADHD brains keep us calm, focused, and connected.

Therapists and researchers agree: people with ADHD often stim (aka self-stimulate) through sound — humming, tapping, making noise — especially when we're:

• Bored

• Overstimulated

• Anxious

• Trying really hard to focus

It’s not about attention-seeking. It’s self-soothing. And it works.

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Let’s Talk About ADHD and Women for a Second If you’re a woman with ADHD, there’s a high chance you didn’t find out until way later in life. Like me.

Growing up, I knew something felt off. I couldn’t keep up at school. Teachers called me "dreamy" or said I was "flying in the clouds." But it wasn’t anyone’s fault — at the time, no one really knew how ADHD looked in girls.

Most of the research was done on boys, and because girls often present differently, we were missed. We internalized everything, worked harder, masked better.

We became the “good girls” — the ones who stayed quiet, smiled, held it together. On the outside, everything looked fine. But inside, we were exhausted.

And here’s the wild part: Singing can be the opposite of masking.

When you sing, you're not hiding. You're just being. You get to take up space. Use your voice. Be bold or soft or angry or tender — whatever you need in that moment.

For me? Singing was the first place I felt like I could unmask and still be safe.

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Why Singing Helps ADHD – Let’s Get Into It

1. It gives structure to the chaos

When your thoughts are doing backflips, a song steps in and says: "Hey. Just follow me." Songs have a beginning, middle, and end. They’re made of bite-sized phrases your brain can grab onto. Even if your day feels like a tornado, singing gives you something solid to hold.

2. It activates your vagus nerve (aka your calm switch)

There’s a nerve in your body that helps calm your whole nervous system. It’s called the vagus nerve. And guess what stimulates it? Singing. Humming. Deep breathing.

When you sing, it sends your body a message: "You’re safe. You can slow down now."

That means:

• Lower heart rate

• Deeper breathing

• Less anxiety

• More grounded energy🧠 [Source: neurodivergentinsights.com]

3. It lowers stress hormones like cortisol

ADHD life = cortisol overload. We’re constantly trying to keep up, hold it together, and not fall apart.

But singing? Singing actually reduces cortisol levels. Even a few minutes of solo or group singing can ease stress.

🧠 [Source: adxs.org]

4. It gives you a dopamine boost (and we live for dopamine)

Dopamine is the brain chemical we crave. It gives motivation, pleasure, and energy. And music? Music is a dopamine machine.

That’s why:

• Singing your favorite song can help start a hard task

• It lifts your mood instantly

• It energizes you without the crash

• It literally makes life feel more sparkly

5. It helps you feel — without needing to explain

Emotional regulation is hard. Sometimes you don’t know what you feel. Sometimes it’s everything all at once.

Singing lets you feel without needing words. Crying while singing? Valid. Screaming a chorus in the car? Therapeutic. Belting out a phrase and breaking through a block? That’s healing.

Your voice becomes your language. You don’t have to make it make sense.

6. It soothes your sensory system

ADHD can make the world feel like "too much" or "not enough."

Singing creates a sensory space you control:

• You hear your own voice

• You feel vibration in your body

• You choose the rhythm, volume, and pace

It’s your own mini sensory bubble. No permission needed.

Final Thoughts If you have ADHD and you love singing, this isn’t random. It’s not weird. And you’re definitely not alone.

Your voice isn’t just sound. It’s regulation. It’s grounding. It’s healing.

And maybe — just maybe — singing is one of the most honest ways we ADHDers can show up in the world... without apology.

You don’t have to be good at it. You don’t have to be professional. You just have to feel it.

And let yourself be. Written by Tatiana – voice coach and singer

WONA Singing Studio • Black Rock, Victoria www.wonastudio.com

Do you use singing to regulate your emotions?

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  Yes, all the time
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  I think so but never named it that
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  I want to try it now