This practice is part of the
Time Required
10 minutes for three days for one week.
How to Do It
Set aside 10 minutes to find and then listen to a piece of music two times all the way through without being distracted.
When you're ready, follow these steps:
- Select a Piece of Music. Look for a piece of music that you can listen to from start to finish right now. This can be through a music app, a digital music player, or even the internet. Pick a piece of music you know well. Choose one that has brought you a sense of calm, hope, or even perspective. This might be a song that has comforted you in the past or one that puts you at ease when you hear it.
- Prepare Your Listening Space. Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can listen without distractions.
- Before you press play. Take a moment and think about a recent situation that may have frustrated, upset, or disappointed you. As you do think about what you were thinking when it happened, what you might still be thinking or feeling about the situation. When playing the piece of music, let yourself be reminded of the experience in your mind.
- Listen to the music. Keeping all of this in mind, press play on your chosen music piece and listen to the whole piece. Let yourself notice why you chose this piece of music. As you think try to notice where you are now and how you're feeling as the music plays.
- Listen to the same piece a second time. When you begin to listen a second time, ask yourself these things about the situation: Did anything good come out of it, even if it was something small? Might this situation matter less in the long run than it feels right now? During this next playback, think about how you’ve grown and changed since this experience.
- Keeping all these things in mind, play the piece of music again. Let the music guide your thoughts and feelings toward a sense of peace, perspective, and comfort.
- Notice and savor any shift in perspective or emotion. As the song ends, take a moment to notice how your thoughts or emotions may have shifted from before you heard any music. Hold onto the sense of comfort and resilience that may have emerged through this practice as you go about your day.
Why You Should Try It
We naturally dwell on negative experiences, which can make our struggles feel bigger than they are. Music has the power to help us step outside those thought loops and find moments of meaning, gratitude, and hope. By pairing music with reflection, this practice trains you to see challenges with a more balanced, constructive perspective.
Why It Works
Music is closely linked to emotion regulation, meaning it can help us process difficult emotions in a healthy way. Research shows that positive reappraisal, finding meaning in negative situations, can reduce stress and increase long-term resilience. This practice turns music into a tool for shifting perspective, making it easier to see the bright side even in tough times.
References
Papinczak, Z. E., Dingle, G. A., Stoyanov, S. R., Hides, L., & Zelenko, O. (2015). Young people’s uses of music for well-being. Journal of Youth Studies, 18(9), 1119–1134. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2015.1020935
Croom, A. M. (2015). Music practice and participation for psychological well-being: A review of how music influences positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Musicae Scientiae, 19(1), 44–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864914561709
Wang, J., & Suh, K. H. (2024). Music and subjective well-being in older Chinese adults: Perceived stress moderates the mediating effects of emotional adaptability. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 43(8), 7275–7283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04928-z
Laukka, P. (2007). Uses of music and psychological well-being among the elderly. Journal of Happiness Studies, 8(2), 215–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9024-3
McFerran, K. S., Garrido, S., & Saarikallio, S. (2016). A Critical Interpretive Synthesis of the Literature Linking Music and Adolescent Mental Health. Youth & Society, 48(4), 521–538. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X13501343
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The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.