Music and Mental Health: Using Playlists to Support Emotional Well-Being
Therapists often talk about coping skills as a way to emotionally regulate and cope with difficult emotions that may come up with the ebbs and flows of life. Coping skills take self-care techniques a step further in that yes, we are taking care of ourselves, but we are also finding specific ways to express and release the emotions in our body. Basically they help us cope with the emotion(s) that arise when you’re doing everyday tasks such as grocery shopping or working.
In therapy, each person usually develops their own set of coping tools guided by evidence-based strategies but also techniques that most resonate and connect with the individual. For many people, music can be cathartic. Listening to music can be a good tool to add to your “coping tool box.”
Creating Your Coping Playlist
To create your coping playlist, consider the following questions:
Which genre of music most resonates with you?
What feelings do you notice come up when you’re listening to a particular artist or song?
Whatever music genre(s) connect with you most, create a playlist for yourself, and give it a label so you remember what it’s for. Have this playlist on hand for different moods and emotions you experience.
Using Your Playlist
The next time you’re feeling angry, anxious, or sad, spend a few minutes listening to your playlist. Your future self will likely thank you for creating the list ahead of time. It may become one of your go-to tools. If a crisis comes up, you want to be able to access it as quickly and easily as possible.
Explore Additional Coping Tools
To learn more about additional coping tools, please see my coping toolbox resource.