Music and Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
It is no surprise that music is a powerful tool to benefit your mental health. From a young age words set to melody and rhythm capture our attention better than words alone. In adolescence, musical preferences are tied to identity formation and our favorite songs and artists get us through difficult times. As adults, our connection with music can change and evolve as we can start to use music more purposefully. Many of us use music for relaxation, to motivate use to get things done, for entertainment, to connect with others. Here are a few musical ideas for Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond.
Firstly it is important to state that music is not a substitute for seeing a professional counselor. Music therapy is also not a substitute for traditional therapy, but can support you as part of your mental health team.
Try singing! Please know that you do not have to sound good to benefit from singing. Singing requires you to breathe deeply and use your body as an instrument. This can be very powerful for people who are “in their head” a lot get “into their body” a little bit more. Singing can also feel cathartic.
Choose music wisely. Music is powerful and it can cause harm. While music that matches your mood or situation can be very validating, lyrics that cause you to ruminate on harmful thoughts should be treated with caution. There may be times that you can listen to a song safely and times that you need to hit skip to protect your mental status.
Make some go-to playlists. When you are having a bad mental health day, choosing what music to listen to might feel too hard. It’s a great idea to make some go-to playlists when you have the energy so that you don’t have to make any difficult choices when you need that musical boost. Consider starting to compile playlists for different emotional states, based on vibes, based on a certain time in your life, etc. You might create a playlist that gets happier and lighter as it goes on. You might choose songs from a simpler time in your life that can trigger those old, positive memories.
If you would like to explore more about how music or music therapy might be able to be part of your mental health care, please reach out!
If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
