Music holds an incredible capacity to heal, soothe, and empower both mind and soul. When I’m listening to the radio, hearing one of my favourite songs can completely lift my mood, and likewise, a song that reminds me of sad times can have me crying in an instant. The mix of melodies, evocative lyrics, and tempos can evoke so many emotions. Sometimes it is the lyrics that grab us or sometimes the melody. Often both.
I have been compiling my own playlists since I can remember – starting on cassettes and trying to capture the top 40 (some of you may remember those days!) and later with the ease of streaming services to create multiple playlists. I have so many playlists, but some are more emotionally impactful than others.
How can you use music more consciously to support your own mental health? Below are some suggestions for creating your own therapeutic playlists.
Music possesses a unique ability to alter emotions. Upbeat tempos and positive lyrics can improve mood and reduce stress by triggering the release of dopamine. Think about music you like to dance to, or songs that make you smile. There is real power in helping to make a small mind shift when listening to these types of songs.
When I was doing my counselling training, one of the assignments was to write something about your own life journey. I chose to express my different experiences with a playlist. Having a playlist of songs that are special and specific to you can be very grounding. Singing some of these at the top of your voice can also be very therapeutic! This is the playlist where lyrics tend to resonate with you. There is something very powerful in knowing that someone has written a song about how you feel (or felt) – and some sense that you are not alone. Sometimes it can be hard to verbalise how you feel and finding a song to do this for you can be so helpful.
If you do yoga or similar, you may have found yourself drifting off to a lilting melody, often something you would rarely listen to at any other time. The mix of Western, Indian, ethnic instruments, nature sounds and chants can be so relaxing. I’ve tried to recreate the sense of calm with a compilation of ‘yogi’ type music. Just lying somewhere peaceful listening to this type of music can instil a sense of meditation – really useful if you are someone who finds meditation difficult. I also find this type of music can help me drift off to sleep.
If this type of music isn’t for you – then consider finding slower songs that sooth you, such as ballads or instrumental music.
Music is part of so many memories for so many people. How many times do you guess the year on a golden hour challenge, trying to remember where you where or what you were doing to work out the year? Having playlists that evoke special memories can be both uplifting and reflective.
In bereavement work we often talk about the music someone liked and there are times when listening to a particular song can be comforting and bring back good memories. Having a playlist to remember someone can be a way to keep their memory close.
Once you start thinking about different playlists for different emotions you may discover quite a few other categories that are unique to you. I’m currently putting together a new one that includes songs that focus on acceptance of time moving forward – due to needing to build some emotional resilience around a big birthday! There might be some Abba involved (like a roller in the ocean life is motion…)
So in the bitter sweet symphony that’s life (thank you The Verve) – why not start curating some playlists to connect, reflect and uplift. It might be one of the most accessible self help tools we have.
