he ability to feel your feelings is what makes us human. We wouldn’t be human unless we had the mental capacity to handle such feelings. But some days are harder than others and we need coping mechanisms in order to cope with the trouble’s life throws our way.
With music, you have the power to take a bad day and make it better. Whether you’ve had a terrible day or just want to sit back and listen to some good songs to get you out of a rut, there are endless possibilities. While some people prefer to counteract their sadness or stress with upbeat music, there are other people who need to dwell on that emotion they’re feeling.
Emotional support playlists can really come in handy, especially as you find yourself adulting and living through experiences that can wear you down. You need some way to release those negative emotions you’re feeling. Whether it be anxiety, depression, stress, or you’re just having a bad day, music can make a world of difference in your mental health.
This article will serve as a guide when determining the many different types of music you can listen in order to bring yourself up when you’re feeling down, most people listen to music that is:
- Uplifting
- Empowering
- Inspiring
But some people need to amplify their emotions by bringing out those feelings. For those who tend to listen to music that only makes them sadder, you might tend to hone in on your emotions and go for songs that are:
- Calming
- Soft
- Emotional
No matter the music you find yourself searching for when you’re feeling down, here are a few songs that you might want to add to your emotional support playlist. And if you don’t have a playlist, then hopefully these recommendations can serve as inspiration if you find yourself wanting to create one.
The Importance of Making a Playlist
Before you make a playlist, or if you already have one, you might want to know why having a collection of all of your favorite songs can be helpful. Adulting can be tedious, and sometimes there is only so much you can do to prevent yourself from feeling down and stressed. An emotional support playlist can do so much for your mental health.
The music you listen to is more often than not a reflection of the emotions you’re feeling. But, some people handle their emotions differently than others. For some people, they turn to high-energy music to listen to when they’re down, whereas others only listen to low-energy music to reflect their current emotions.
Whether you want to feel your feelings or you want to feel anything but your feelings, a playlist is a great place to start. Here you can add all of your must-have songs that you can sit and dwell on or dance the pain away.
There are many benefits to making a playlist composed of all of your favorite songs. Not only do you have an easily accessible way to get to your music without having to search for a song every time another one ends, but it makes your life more organized.
When you’re feeling down, the last thing you need is something to make you feel worse. So, already having a playlist ready for when you get into a certain emotional state can help alleviate possible spirals in your sadness or anger.
An emotional support playlist can do so much for you, no matter the state you’re in, so creating one big one that reflects common emotions you feel or a few different ones for specific feelings will come in handy when you need them the most.
Uplifting and Empowering Bops
By listening to empowering music, you are contributing to getting yourself into a better mental state. Music, especially fast-paced and optimistic songs, has the power to transform your mindset, which in turn helps us regulate our emotions. If you’re going through a rough patch in your life, you might need something to uplift you, and listening to music is the perfect way to do that. As you start to get into a really uplifting song, your stress ebbs away, and your body sheds away the troubles of the day. This is a really easy and effective way to gain some control over your negative emotions.
Choosing a happy song over a sad one can immediately help to change your mood. When serotonin and dopamine, the brain’s happy chemicals, get released, we are overcome with feelings of happiness. This also increases the amount of energy we are feeling— listening to loud music makes you want to get up and dance, perfect for when you’re feeling down in the dumps.
Here are a few to add to your growing playlist:
- The Man by Taylor Swift
- Evacuate the Dance Floor by Cascada
- Primadonna Girl by MARINA
- New Rules by Dua Lipa
- Juice by Lizzo
- Dancing Queen by ABBA
- You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift
- It’s Time by Imagine Dragons
- Die Young by Kesha
- Classic by MKTO
- When I Grow Up by The Pussycat Dolls
- Who Says by Selena Gomez
- Power by Little Mix
- I'm Good (Blue) by David Guetta, Bebe Rexha
- Applause by Lady Gaga
- Confident by Demi Lovato
Dance-Worthy and Angry Music
If your emotional state is slowly turning to anger, have no fear. There are countless songs for when your emotional state is all over the place, or heading for a more angrier route. When listening to angry music on top of it being upbeat, allows you to release your negative emotions as you’re pelting out the angry lyrics.
An easy way to deal with difficult emotions when they arise is through dance. It’s a simple way to release all the tension and negative feelings you may be holding in. Expressing yourself through deep lyrics and an upbeat tempo can do a lot for your mental health. The more emotionally connected to a song you are, the more you’ll enjoy listening to it. Here are a few songs with angry lyrics to add to your list of songs:
- good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo
- Bad Blood by Taylor Swift
- Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift
- I Really Don’t Care by Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd
- Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
- I Love It by Icona Pop
- Before He Cheats Carrie Underwood
- What the Hell by Avril Lavigne
- Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
- This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things by Taylor Swift
- 7 Things by Miley Cyrus
- Because of You by Kelly Clarkson
- We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus
Slow, Melancholy Songs
Listening to music when you’re in a situation where you feel sad or anxious can help you better understand your emotions, making them easier to deal with. When we’re sad, we tend to listen to the lyrics of a song far more than when we are in a good mood. This can make the experience of listening to sad songs way more powerful and enriching than usual.
This is the perfect opportunity to find new songs to add to your playlist that brings out even more emotions in you, allowing you to connect with songs you wouldn’t normally connect to when you’re in a good emotional state. In turn, you can interpret and deal with your emotions in a healthy way.
If you’re one of those people who need sad music in order to really feel your feelings and overcome your emotional state, here are a few recommendations to add to your emotional support playlist.
- Hold On by Extreme Music
- Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift
- Why Am I Like This? By Orla Gartland
- You’re on Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift
- What Was I Made For? By Billie Eilish
- My Mind & Me by Selena Gomez
- Clean by Taylor Swift
- Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
- My Own Person by Ezra Williams
- Falling By Harry Styles
- this is me trying by Taylor Swift
- The Heart Wants What It Wants by Selena Gomez
- Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi McAlpine
- Sappho by Frankie Cosmos
- Forever Winter (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift
- Ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine
- right where you left me by Taylor Swift
- Winner by Conan Gray
- The Climb by Miley Cyrus
- Don’t Give Up On Me by Andy Grammer
Everyone Needs Adulting Songs For Days When Adulting is Hard
Music has the power to allow us to explore different emotions, but it also has the power to let us feel our emotions more deeply. No matter how you use music to cope on emotionally tiring days, you are doing something that actively helps your mental health. Whether you choose to listen to more upbeat songs or purposefully choose melancholy ones, you’re contributing to bettering your mental health.
Music has the power to evoke feelings of joy as well as calm our minds and bodies, regardless of the type of music you choose to listen to when you’re feeling down. Keeping this in mind can aid you in making the perfect playlist the next time you’re in need of emotional support in the form of music.
