The Playlist Prescription: Music’s Role in Mental Wellness

Let’s face it—life gets overwhelming. Between stress, anxiety, and the everyday mental load, finding ways to take care of our mental health is more essential than ever. While therapy and medication are powerful tools (and often necessary ones), there’s another healing method that’s free, accessible, and incredibly effective: music.

Music and Mental Health: More Than Background Noise

Music isn’t just something to fill the silence—it’s a powerful tool for mental wellness. It stirs emotions, brings back memories, and gives us a language when words fall short. Whether you’re vibing to a chill classical piece, belting out a pop anthem, or finding solace in a raw, emotional ballad, music can meet you exactly where you are.

The right song at the right time doesn’t just change your mood—it can hold you in a moment. It offers a safe space to feel your feelings, release emotional tension, and begin to regulate your nervous system.

Music Changes Your Brain (In a Good Way)

From a science perspective, music therapy for anxiety and depression has growing support. Listening to music boosts neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins—all the chemicals that help us feel more at ease, hopeful, and energized. Research shows that music can help:

• Ease symptoms of anxiety and depression

• Reduce chronic pain

• Improve sleep quality

• Enhance emotional expression and self-regulation

So, yes—your playlist can be your prescription.

Using Music to Reconnect With Your Body

One of the most powerful aspects of music, for me personally, is how it brings me back into my body. As women, we’re bombarded with confusing messages about how our bodies should look, feel, move, and be experienced. That disconnection can show up emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.

Music helps bridge that gap.

There have been so many moments where I logically felt confident, but emotionally felt small. Playing the right track—something bold, sexy, or empowering—helps me embody the confidence that’s been trapped in my head. Music invites me to move, to feel, to reclaim sensuality and presence.

🎧 Explore my therapeutic playlist: Momentum Mindset Audio Therapy: Sexual Confidence Listen

Escaping Thought Loops With Sound

When I’m stuck in a spiral of negative thoughts, music is my way out. Whether I’m dancing in the kitchen, crying to a ballad, or singing like I am Kelly Clarkson circa 2002 (yes, it was “A Moment Like This”), music redirects my energy. It gives me space to breathe, feel something different, and reset—even if just for a few minutes.

This is one of the easiest mental wellness tools we have access to—and we can use it every day.

Music Builds Community and Connection

Music also connects us to others. Sharing playlists, going to concerts, singing with friends, or just talking about your favorite tracks can build relationships and reduce feelings of isolation. I often invite clients to explore the emotional power of music in our sessions—it’s such a rich tool for storytelling, self-expression, and healing.

🎧 Try my playlist designed to boost self-worth: Momentum Mindset Audio Therapy: Female Confidence Listen

Pop Music as My Ativan

Even in my mid-thirties, I’ll proudly say: I love pop music. Is it basic sometimes? Sure. But it lifts me up. Pop is my go-to when I’m socially anxious, low-energy, or in need of a confidence boost. Sometimes, it’s not about complexity—it’s about what works. For me, pop is medicine.

Final Thought: Music as Everyday Therapy

Music isn’t just entertainment. It’s a therapeutic tool for mental wellness, confidence, and connection. Let’s stop treating it like background noise and start using it like the healing force it is.

🎶 Your playlist might just be the most underrated mental health tool you have.