You probably have any number of playlists on your phone, your ipod, even on your mixtapes….. You may have a playlist for the gym, for walking the dog, for running, for working. These are all for when you’re doing something.
But what about a playlist for when you’re feeling – a playlist for your mood?
Studies have shown that music can have a positive and negative affect on our mood. Listening to grungy rock was shown to increase feelings of anger and tension. Whilst listening to more relaxing easy listening increased feelings of calm.
Cerys Matthews caught my attention recently with her agony-aunt-of-music column ‘Dr Crotchety’ in the weekend Guardian. She responds to readers’ requests for music to get them through a particular period in their life or to accompany something they do day-to-day. So she has provided musical solutions for the gym, the first dance at a wedding, and for a car commute to work.
Last week she responded to a reader looking for the perfect break-up music. She acknowledged that sometimes you need to allow yourself the time and space to be sad and to cry. And she provided the soundtrack for this.
But then she recognised how music can help to change your mood – and sometimes it’s time to get up and get going again and the perfect soundtrack is there. See what you think of her suggestions here.
Music can match your mood and it can change your mood too – when you feel sad, when you feel happy, when you feel frustrated, when you feel angry – what do you need to listen to? What will be on your playlist?
