Playlists for Improving Mood
Has a song ever made you cry?
Do you have a go-to song to lift your mood?
Perhaps it isn’t a specific song but rather a general genre that can bring up these feelings or emotions. I know I have a handful that I lean on in different moments. When I’m trying to lift myself up I reach for songs that have a faster tempo with familiar lyrics that I can sing along to, if I’m feeling more subdued and looking for music to meet me in that subdued place I’ve really been enjoying Taylor Swift’s two most recent albums Evermore and Folklore. The overall moodiness to those two albums have a great way of meeting me with a melancholy hug that is comforting and affirming to the weariness of a long day.
Music is an effective tool to both affirm and alter your feelings.
This is something I work with my clients who are interested in developing coping skill and coping tools. We work on identifying their preferred music and start really digging into when they prefer listening to these songs or artists. What are they feeling at the time? If they like to listen to the music when they are sad or angry do the songs affirm these feelings, drag them deeper into these feelings, or move them out into a different emotional state, preferably a more positive state.
Here’s the thing, I am all about music meeting you where you are. There are times where there is nothing more jarring than being upset then hearing something like “500 Miles” begin to play. It’s too positive, too happy for that moment and it makes everything feel weird. It’s all about finding the music that comforts you and being able to use it to move you to a safer and better headspace.
How do we do this?
We use a concept called the iso-principle to help alter mood states. The iso-principle is a concept developed by Altschuler in 1948 to manage moods. The core concept is to start with ht helps affirm their feelings. Is it the lyrics? The tempo (fast or slow)? the timbre (overall sound quality such as bright, dark, mellow, light…)? the instrumentation? Finding what it is that is drawing out that emotion can help guide the next songs that match then move away. We also discuss what songs they listen to when they are already in the preferred state and find what it is about those songs that draws them in during those times as well. Finally you begin fully composing the playlist. The key for a good playlist is that it is all client preferred music, one because its more motivating to listen to preferred songs and two because there is comfort in familiarity and in times of emotional need we could all use extra comfort. The playlist can be as long or as short as you need to comfortably transition your mood from one state to the next.
So how can you put this to use?
First off - if this is to help you with major emotional needs such as moving through a depressive episode or other diagnosed mental health needs please work with a professional to fully delve into the music and your feelings to ensure the playlist created is a healthy one to help you.
Now, if you are looking to have a playlist on hand after a frustrating day or to wake you up after a long night awake; lets talk about how to make a playlist ahead of time to help you. For a frustrating day: start with a song that meets you in as much rage as you need (example: “I Hate Everything About You” by Three Days Grace) follow that by as many angry songs as you need. I usually use 2-3. Then begin moving to songs that are less angry (example: “We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift). Again 2-3 is where I sit in my playlists but use as many as you need to make the transition. Then finally ending with songs in the headspace you want to be in. With this example, let’s end feeling happy. Songs I would move to would be what I like to call “shower songs.” Songs we like to belt alone in the shower. Ideally use songs in this moment that you know really well and can sing along to. Singing is known to improve your mood by releasing endorphins and encouraging deep breaths. Some songs for this stage of the playlist I personally enjoy include “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer, “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac, or “Mercy” by Duffy. If you make any playlists please share what you create and if they help!
