How a carefully curated playlist may boost productivity, mental health
Posted February 14, 2023 10:41 am.
Last Updated February 16, 2023 11:14 am.
Throwing on a workout or laundry day playlist helps make those tasks a little more tolerable for most people, and some of us even have “hype songs” when preparing for something big, important or nerve-wracking.
A music therapist says there’s much more to a well-curated playlist than just the pick-me-up possibilities.
“There is no other activity we know of that lights up as many areas [of the brain] simultaneously than when we’re listening to music that matters to us,” says Jennifer Buchanan, author of Wellness, Wellplayed: The Power of a Playlist.
“It can bring on that release of certain neurotransmitters and hormones in our system, releasing it in a way that then we can be feeling more activated. We can feel de-stressed.”
Buchanan’s book and corresponding video series contain how-to exercises and tips for using music to support productivity and good mental health for different life roles, scenarios or phases — for example, for a workplace setting.
“How is it that we can create a way for us to feel connected but also more productive and maybe break through to some of those creative ideas — what exact tempo does make you feel like you can get moving? Going back to how music functions in the brain — it can help us feel unlocked, put us in that place of warmth and creativity,” she says.
“And now you’re going to have a new connection to certain selections of songs, and people are gonna go, ‘oh yeah, I remember when Dave said this, and it reminded me of this.’ And you start feeling that level of morale boost that we need when we’re working with our colleagues.”
Buchanan says a thoughtfully put-together playlist can also help in challenging times if you’re experiencing loss or sadness.
“I believe [that’s] a great time for us to curate a playlist, where we can feel connected to either someone that we are missing, if there is some loss in our lives at this moment — we can create a playlist that, as we listen to that particular playlist, we can feel connected to them and our times together,” she says.
Buchanan cautions that if you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope at any time, it’s best to reach out for professional help.
“If it gets to the point where you go, ‘oh, this is still hitting me harder than I was envisioning,’ that’s when we reach out to a mental health professional, including music therapists.”
Buchanan explains that music therapists work in hospitals, long-term care sites and even schools, developing specific techniques on a case-by-case basis that support recovery — whether it be from a traumatic life event or a physical injury.
“We co-treat with a lot of the other allied health professionals. We’re working with physiotherapists, we’re working with speech and language pathologists, and we are creating a very specific program that is going to enable people to feel motivated and inspired to become the strongest that they can be in the moment,” she says.
On an individual level, she suggests being proactive about organizing playlists rather than waiting for when you might need a specifically curated selection.
“If we’re going to start improving the way we’re physically feeling, we’re going to get dressed in our gym clothes, we might go out to the gym, we’re going to go out to walk — we intentionally put in some effort in order for us to achieve that physical wellbeing,” she says.
“If we are really intentionally wanting to improve our health — and mental health is health — then it’s putting in a little bit of effort, and it’s easiest to do it when we are feeling well. So I’m going to suggest that anybody right now who feels they’ve got a little bit of margin and a little bit of energy in their lives — now’s the best time to do it so you can have it prepared for the time you need it.”
She adds that the intention behind the curation and what you want to get out of it is as important as what you keep in mind when doing so and how you want to feel at the end of the process.
“So, in essence, it’s not just how we’re going to put together our music, it’s why we’re going to put together our music, and that has everything to do with us being as well as possible.”
