Utilizing Music For DBT
Can you think about an experience with music you had that brings up a pleasant memory? Recently, I have been playing Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish and it leads me to such gratitude for the people I have in my life. Music can do that for us, it can make us present in the moment and have gratitude for all that we have.
Music impacts our brain by releasing endorphins, helping us to relieve pain and manage stress. Music can be used as a tool in any situation. In this blog, I address how DBT utilizes music as a tool for an improved mental health. Hopefully, after you have read this article, you will turn on your favorite song for just what you need.
Music can assist in processing unpleasant emotions. One would think when experiencing unpleasant emotions, they should put on a song that will calm them down. While this can be very helpful, it doesn’t always have to be the case. When you are feeling sadness and you put on a song that relates to this, music can help validate you. Turning on a sad song and being in the present moment while listening can help you to build awareness to the insights behind your emotion, notice where you are feeling it in your body and to give yourself time to process through these emotions. Instead of turning to negative self-talk or other maladaptive coping behaviors, you can engage in emotion identification with music and processing. This can also assist you to put a timer on your processing. When experiencing sadness, it can be easy to fall into a lowered mood of experiencing sadness for an extended time. If you choose 3-5 songs to process your emotions, you can manage not falling into a slump while also still being able to experience what you’re feeling.
The same can apply to anger. Often, when anger arises, one can have heightened urges to act on the anger. Anger can help us to bring awareness to when we feel we are being treated unfairly. While anger can be helpful, the urges that at times accompany anger, cannot be. Listening to music that matches your angry feeling can help to process it for a time-limit that feels constructive to you bringing you more time to wait out the anger urge and leading to more time to de-escalate the heightened emotion. Regulating anger can bring more clarity, eliciting more productive behaviors to address the event that made you angry.
For motivation, consider putting on an energizing playlist. Music can enhance your mood and increase feelings of happiness or gratitude by choosing songs that align with said emotions. Sometimes, it helps to choose music that is contrary to your current mood. When you want to change how you feel, try to identify the desired emotion and select songs that match it. Music can strengthen connection with oneself, making it a positive tool for emotional well-being.
Coping skills can be tailored to your needs. Hopefully, this blog brought awareness to the creativity that can be used when managing emotions and mental health. Now, take this cue to put on your favorite playlist for what you need at this moment!
