4 Ways Music Can Calm Your Anxiety

In last week’s post, I shared 4 ways to show your anxiety who’s really in charge. When I shared the post on LinkedIn, I received a comment asking me about how music could specifically help with anxiety. I figured that question warranted its own post (I am a music therapist after all!), so here we are.

I have found that the kind of music that helps people with their anxiety can vary greatly. Some people can really sink into slow, grounded, resonant music that helps them breathe and calm, while others really need to move the anxiety out energetically – to “shake it off”, so to speak. Some people love toning, and others have no idea what it is (if that’s you, keep reading!).

You may find that on certain days or in certain situations you respond differently to different types of music. This is completely typical – music is not a “one size fits all” kind of thing.

4 ways music can help soothe your anxiety

Here are some ideas to try – if music is not part of your self-care routine, there’s no time like the present to start.

1. Toning. Toning is singing a vowel sound, or syllable, for the length of an exhalation. Some vowel sounds I like to play around with are “ah” “oo” and “ee”. Take an inhale through your nose, and as you exhale allow the breath to slide out on top of the sound.

   It doesn’t matter what pitch you sing, the quality of the sound, or its duration. Just imagine your anxiety flowing out of your body with the tone. Try 5-10 of these and see if you notice any physical or emotional shifts.

   You can experiment with toning on low or high pitches, different vowel sounds, lying down or sitting up. You may notice that your voice will sound different depending on how you’re feeling physically, the time of day, or your mood – that’s perfectly okay.

   Toning is about the release of tension through sound, and not about sounding like an opera star.

2. Listening. Experiment with different kinds of music to listen to. Sometimes when you’re anxious you may need to move and dance as you listen – try 80s music or hard rock or disco, whatever gets you moving and grooving.

   At other times, you may find your anxiety soothed by slow, calm music – I’m partial to the cello, but there are many genres and artists that could potentially soothe you – maybe James Taylor, or Enya, or Massenet. Allow yourself to not know exactly what will work for you, and give yourself some time and space to figure it out.

   I often suggest creating a playlist that encompasses several different styles/genres, and when you feel anxious you have options of what to listen to.

3. Moving. This ties into the listening mentioned in number 2, but movement is often helpful for anxiety. Whether that’s dancing, playing air guitar, drumming on your steering wheel, or doing yoga to music is up to you.

   I also suggest noticing the rhythm and energy of your body as you move through your anxiety – what would it sound like if you played it on a drum? Where do you feel it – or not feel it?

4. Sound and stillness. I mentioned making a daily ritual of stillness in last week’s post. If reading or journaling or meditating doesn’t work for you, perhaps try making a ritual of sound and stillness. You could sit quietly with eyes closed and listen to one favorite song, play a small bell or singing bowl – let each tone fade away before playing the next, or simply sit quietly and listen to the sounds around you, whether you’re inside or outside.

 I hope these ideas were helpful. I welcome your thoughts and questions in the comments below. If you would like to find a way to live with less anxiety, please feel free to contact me directly – one of my specialties and passions is working with women who are dealing with anxiety.

My approach combines mindfulness, creativity, music, and gentle self-awareness to help you look at what’s not working and create a life you love.

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About the Author

Maya is a music therapist and psychotherapist in NYC and online throughout New York State. She specializes in helping women with anxiety, childhood/intergenerational trauma and those who

are highly sensitive (HSP) feel good enough, learn how to express their feelings without overwhelm, and show up in calm and confident ways in their work and relationships.

If you’re interested in working with Maya, you can learn more here or schedule your free phone consultation here. 

You don’t have to stay stuck - it’s time to reclaim your rhythm.