
At Sundance Canyon Academy, we have talked with many parents who want to help their teen manage anxiety. While attending our school, students work with trained therapists to learn various anxiety-reducing techniques. When they are at home, you can work with your teen to help them learn and use anxiety-reducing techniques. Today, we are discussing the ways that music can help your teen manage anxiety. Contact us for more information about helping your teen overcome their struggles with anxiety.
You probably already know that music can impact your mood and that your activities can influence your choice of music. Maybe you like to listen to something upbeat and energetic while you’re working out. Rainy days might inspire you to turn on something mellow and soulful. Backyard barbeques and days at the beach might get their own fun, happy playlist. Different occasions call for different types of music.
Certain songs can even evoke memories and emotions that you might not anticipate. Have you ever heard a song that you haven’t played in years, but you realize that you still know all of the words? Just hearing the song and singing along brings back memories from a previous time in life. Maybe they’re happy memories, or perhaps they’re not. Suddenly though, your mind has traveled back in time to remember something that you hadn’t planned to remember right then.
Music has a powerful effect on the way we think, feel, and experience life.
Using music to reduce anxiety
When used purposefully, music can influence our moods for the better. Like you can create a playlist to set the mood for a pool party, you can create a playlist to set the mood for any moment in life. If your teen struggles with anxiety, they can learn to use music to help calm themselves down and stay in the present.
By purposefully choosing songs with a specific beat, pitch, or rhythm, teens can help themselves move from a state of anxiety to a state of calm. Some teens prefer to listen to music with lyrics that resonate with them. Others prefer to listen to instrumental music with a rhythmic beat that lets them get lost in the music.
By focusing on the music, teens with anxiety can forget about the things that make them anxious. They can let go of anxiety-producing thoughts and relax.
How to help your teen use music to manage their anxiety
Create a good playlist
Help your teen create a playlist that works for them. Have them choose some songs that they like that remind them of happy times. It’s best to pick songs that resonate with them and that make them feel good.
Keep in mind that the songs they choose might not be the same music that you enjoy!
Let them pick songs that fit well in their playlist, even if you wouldn’t choose those songs.
Listen to music that matches the mood you want
When we listen to fast-paced music, our heart rate and energy can pick up to match the beat. If your teen’s heart is racing because they’re anxious, it can help to listen to slower-paced music. By choosing songs that encourage a calm mood, your teen is more likely to transition from anxious to calm.
Find calming sounds
Sometimes, anxious teens can find tranquility by listening to calming sounds. Though it’s not exactly music, the sound of running water, breeze blowing through leaves, or birds chirping can calm the mind. If your teen is stuck in an anxiety-producing environment like riding on a school bus, they might benefit from listening to sounds that mimic a calm environment.
Though music can be beneficial for everyone, some forms of anxiety need more advanced treatment. Teens with severe anxiety can often benefit from attending a therapeutic boarding school to receive one-on-one treatment. If your son regularly struggles with anxiety, contact us for more information about our therapeutic program for teen boys.