Music as One of the Best Tools for an Anxious Person
I know, right?
Today I am not writing about how overwhelmed we feel about the world outside and its daily screams. Today I want to share my experience with music.
The best purchase I made in the past few months was a pair of Sony headphones that block outside noise. It is hard for me to climb back up when I am in a dark space where I cannot see an exit. But something changes when I turn the volume up and play my favorite songs.
Something shifts when I go out for a walk and suddenly start running, because the serotonin finally hits. Or when I stay in my room with the door closed, singing out loud. Singing out loud is, for me, a form of therapy. Yesterday I was dancing in the backyard, singing and feeling the rhythm inside my body, doing something almost magical inside my brain.
According to PubMed, a considerable number of published clinical trials have examined the anxiety reducing effects of music therapy across several settings, including mental health care, medical environments, and work and study related contexts. Music therapy involves personally tailored music interventions designed and implemented by qualified music therapists to meet the specific health needs of individuals.
You can read the full article here: Music Therapy for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Systematic Review with Multilevel Meta Analyses.
You can also research the impact of music through many other organizations that show its positive effect on mental health.
I remember being devastated in 2021. Now it feels like a foggy memory, with flashbacks that make me think I would pay to go back in time, if I had known things could actually get worse.
Anyway, I listened to a lot of Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. We all know they have strong lyricism, especially when it comes to sad songs. Even that helped me cope at the time. Hearing lyrics that explain exactly how you feel is comforting. It gives you the sense that you are not alone.
I also love music from the early 60s and the 80s, and I have been listening to it a lot these days. And I can say this: it is not a miracle cure, but when I force myself to go for a walk with my favorite artists, I come back home feeling like a new person. There is a sense of purpose.
I used to play the ukulele back in the day as if I am that old and music has always had a way of helping me breathe.
I felt this was important to share because, like me, I know there are many people out there who feel completely lost most of the time. Sometimes we forget what brings us joy. I do not live close to the ocean anymore, and I cannot surf, so I use the tools I have. If you have something that helps you too, I am happy to hear it and try.