We know that music heals and gives us hope. Why not harness that power into something that can transform us? Especially in this new era of enlightenment regarding mental health, we all want to be better, but it can be difficult to maintain changes. We try new habits, backslide, and are right back to ground zero. But as much as music heals, it can also propel us where we want to be in life. Here are just a few ways we can better ourselves through the music we listen to.
Being More Intentional
One of Socrates’ most famous quotes is, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Take a look at your most listened-to songs, and don’t worry, this blog will still be here when you’re done. Now that you’ve taken a look, what feelings do those songs emulate? Is it despair, loneliness, or resentment? Or is it joy, gratitude, and peace? This should give you some insight into what you’re allowing into your space. If it’s more aligned with the first few emotions, one would call it Junk Food for the Soul. We all have our own junk we don’t want to get rid of, and acknowledging this gives us the power to change what is no longer working.
Exercise #1: Meet your Best Self
Take a moment to think about a version of you that has everything you want. There are no boundaries in this exercise, so sky’s the limit. Do not sell yourself short. If you could imagine what music they wake up to, dance to, cook with, or any hobbies they like that you don’t do (yet!), make a playlist in honor of that. While it seems minimal, listening to it once a day may have monumental effects on your future. Especially when we’re in a rut, exercises like these can loosen up your mind to be open to new possibilities. Imagination isn’t just for children!
If you need an example, see my affirmational playlist here!
The ISO Principle
So, maybe you saw the exercise and thought, “This is hogwash.” With everything going on in your life, why would you be bothered making a silly playlist for something you can’t have (or have even convinced yourself you don’t want)?
The base of all blockages is fear, and that brings me to my next exercise.
Exercise #2: Getting To The Root
Who told you that you cannot have what you want? What did they say? List down all the reasons you can’t picture what you want, or why you believe you cannot have certain aspects of it. “I don’t deserve this, I grew up poor, I am unlovable.” Get them all out, because after reading this, I hope it’s the last time you ever will. These are not realistic thoughts; they are hateful and it’s time to stop feeding them. The ISO principle has the power to resolve this.
The ISO Principle was a music therapy study done in 1948 that shows we can change our mood through music, with lasting effects varying from hours to days. This can create a lifetime of thoughts we have absorbed under the surface subconsciously. The second exercise brings those ugly thoughts to the light and finally shows us that they have no evidence to their claims. They are there to hold you back from where you want to be.
The study consisted of researchers playing a certain song to match the mood of the client and then playing a series of songs in gradually lower tempos. This playlist was called an ISO playlist, and the clients’ moods reflected the music being played. With the gradual changes, clients were able to calm down or feel more joyful after each session. The study even found that it was more effective than listening to exclusively “happy” music!
My favorite part of this research is that no one knows us better than ourselves, and creating personalized ISO playlists for the moods we feel often could have an even greater impact on our health and mood than the study itself did for its participants. This brings me to Exercise #3!
Exercise #3: DIY-ing your ISO!
Put your top listened-to song here. Knowing what emotion it evokes, think of a song that makes you feel uncomfortable, corny even. Maybe it’s “We Are the World” or “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Something that says, “I love life and I love my life.” Mine is “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, but this is about you. There are also several affirmational songs you can choose from the playlist in Exercise #1.
The idea is to have the playlist gradually shift into that energy, so now we need “buffer” songs. Here is a basic outline for more clarity:
1. Song you listen to all the time that evokes negative emotions
2. Song in the same genre as the first choice
3. Blended, alternative song that gradually lifts the playlist
4. A song with more positive lyrics
5. Final song
You can make this playlist as long, as chaotic, and as weird as you want it to be. It is for you, and this is about self-care and self-transformation!
If you had no trouble with the first exercise, great! You are well on your way. If you had resistance, that is where the most change will come from, so embrace it and be patient with yourself. The second and third exercises are important because sometimes we don’t know what we want, and to get to that point, it helps to know what we don’t.
Many people deal with mental health issues, especially given our current climate. Music exists to decorate the time in between and to amplify the small moments we have to embrace in life. It is also why I joined this team, because when words fail, music always speaks. If music can change our thoughts, we can use that to our advantage and build our best lives! Are we true music lovers if we don’t?
Feel free to let me know how these exercises worked for you or share your playlist links in the comments below!
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