MUSIC
Chicky Read
A form of relaxation for me is to listen to music. I am very rarely not listening to some music - up-beat, mellow, dancy, sad, calming.
Music can have a profound effect on both the emotions and the body. Faster music can make you feel more alert and concentrate better. A slower tempo can quiet your mind and relax your muscles, making you feel soothed while releasing the stress of the day and is proven to be effective for relaxation and stress management. Music can be a way of escaping your mind or an aid to focus on your mind and what you are feeling. As someone who struggles expressing my emotions through words and actions, I find music to be a great way to get myself in-tune with my mind and heart.
I have so many playlists made up of favourite tunes, for any mood or situation that I might find myself in. I don’t necessarily listen to the words of songs, its not always that the words being sung speak to me, sometimes I get lost in the melody or tune itself.
A few examples of playlists I have -
‘Holiday/Sun’ - reminding me of sunshine and the warm, light feeling you get when on holiday; laying out in the sun, relaxing, having quality time with family/friends. Songs that are happy and up-beat.
‘Dancy’ - my go-to music for when I’m with my friends, having drinks, chatting, feeling ‘bubbly’ and well… ‘dancy’.
‘Chill’ - my relaxed music. Not just classical music, songs that make me feel calm, content and as if I am not the only person working through a difficult time. This playlist contains music that calms my mind and takes me away from whatever might be stressing me out or weighing down on me.
‘Nope’ - this one is an interesting playlist to have. It is for when I’m really struggling with my emotions and my mind. Its made up of songs that are emotional and tend to make you cry or sad. People have asked me about this one before and have asked why I would listen to songs like this when I am feeling that way already, ‘Wouldn’t it be better to listen to lighthearted, positive, happy music when you’re feeling sad?’. Maybe - sometimes you do need to listen to ‘lighthearted, positive, happy music’ when you’re feeling low. But occasionally, for me at least, as I struggle coming to terms with my emotions, it is the best type of music to listen to. It helps me to find my feelings and to express them. I don’t find it very easy to cry and express myself, listening to this playlist helps me find those emotions and show them - which is healthy, and everyone should do. (disclosure - This playlist helps ME, it might not help YOU and might not be the best idea for YOU, everyone’s different)
I have many other playlists, ones for work, exercise, driving, singing etc. but these few listed above are the main ones that I use for relating to/changing my emotions.
My advice to you, if you don’t have playlists like this already would be to go ahead and make some! There is so much music out there, you can find a song for any feeling, any person and any situation.
Feel free to follow my playlists and listen to them whenever you might need to -