Overview

  • Difficulty:
  • Best Use: Helpful to build during low-anxiety periods for future use
  • Time: 15-30 min
  • Tools:

What to do

  1. Choose a quiet, comfortable environment to create your playlist during a calm moment.
  2. Reflect on and list songs, instrumental music, or nature sounds that historically help you relax or uplift your mood.
  3. Search streaming services or personal collections for these specific tracks or sounds.
  4. Arrange your selected tracks thoughtfully, starting with moderately relaxing sounds and progressing to deeply calming tracks.
  5. Ensure the playlist is accessible on your preferred devices or streaming platforms for easy use.
  6. When experiencing anxiety or stress, play your calming playlist, engaging mindfully with the music or sounds to enhance relaxation.
  7. Regularly review and update your playlist to maintain its effectiveness based on your changing emotional needs.

When to use

Why it works

Listening to calming music or soothing sounds helps lower your stress and anxiety levels, activating the body�s relaxation response and decreasing stress hormones like cortisol. By building your playlist proactively during low-anxiety periods, you ensure easy access to an effective, personalized tool that can quickly soothe the nervous system, promote relaxation, and improve overall emotional and mental health.

Benefits

  • Reduces anxiety and stress
  • Improves mood
  • Enhances sleep quality
  • Provides immediate emotional relief
  • Fosters emotional regulation
  • Boosts psychological resilience
  • Helps individuals manage stress and anxiety more effectively over time

Tips

  • Customize your playlist with diverse sounds to keep engagement and effectiveness high.
  • Consider pairing listening sessions with deep breathing or mindfulness practices to amplify relaxation effects.
  • Create multiple playlists tailored to specific anxiety triggers or times of day (e.g., bedtime playlist, work playlist).
  • Regularly revisit and refine your playlist to maintain relevance and effectiveness.

What to expect

Variations

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions