A Playlist To Help Soothe Anxiety

Anxiety can be hard to manage, especially when being aware of anxiety only makes anxiety worse. Music is a ready solace. It can be accessed anywhere, from the phones in our pockets to home A.I. technology services.

When I'm feeling anxious, I always put my "calm" playlist on. I could be walking around my suburb, just looking at the houses and the trees, feeling the air on my skin, dew from the grass soaking my socks, and listening to the soothing voices of artists I love. Here are some artists whose music I find calming.

Honourable mentions: beabadoobee, Sufjan Stevens, Conan Gray (Sunset Season era), John Vincent III, The Japanese House, Wet.

Taylor Swift (folklore + evermore era)

Taylor Swift has an extensive discography, but her recent releases are probably more fitting for a calming playlist. "ivy", "willow", "invisible string", "mirror ball", and "peace" are just a few tracks from folklore and evermore that are slower and deal with tamer topics. These two albums aren't as focused on heartbreak or vengeance as some of her earlier work (though her early tracks are worthy in their own right), which make these perfect for a "calm" playlist.

Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers burst onto the music scene with her incredible debut album Stranger in the Alps, which she followed in 2020 with the Grammy-nominated Punisher. Her style varies, and her side projects explore other genres (Better Oblivion Community Centre with Conor Oberst, and boygenius with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus).

Generally, I find her voice to be soothing and calming, and the music itself is rather gentle. Her Christmas songs are slow and sombre, and they describe pretty scenes. "Garden Song" is another great one.

Novo Amor

Almost all of Novo Amor's songs are calming. Acoustic, folk-ish, and poetic, this Welsh instrumentalist has curated a very specific mood and tone in his music. Listening to Novo Amor always makes me feel safe and at home. It feels like driving through a winding forest road or swaying with the waves of the ocean. The lyrics often reference aspects of the natural world, which I find comfort in when I'm feeling anxious. Take Novo Amor's music for a walk or a drive, take some time to breathe and reflect.

Bon Iver

Like Novo Amor, I find Bon Iver's work to be generally calm. Of course, this diverse artist likes to experiment, but generally speaking, Bon Iver is a go-to for calm music. Also like Novo Amor, the lyrics often reference the natural world.

Songs like "Holocene" remind me that I'm just a small part of a big, old universe, which may not be what everyone wants to hear, but sometimes it can help to put things into perspective. The swelling music on that particular track also helps me feel like I'm somewhere else, anywhere else, anywhere I want to be.

Clairo

Think "I Wouldn't Ask You", "Heaven", and "How", though I find all of her music to be pretty chill. Her voice sounds effortless, even though it's always so full of emotion. The instrumentals are usually quite subtle and understated, gentle and swaying, and perfect for background music when studying or journaling. Clairo is also an advocate for mental health, and the topic comes up in her music, most notably in her song "Alewife".

When I listen to "I Wouldn't Ask You", in my head I tend to make it about anxiety. The song is pretty vague, but to me - and this could be influenced by my mindset when I discovered this song - it's about not wanting to burden other people with your own anxiety or mental instability.

The song switches pace in the second half and focuses more on how Clairo relies on this other person to help her feel strong. This could be alluding to her juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but it may also refer to emotional and mental strength. This notion is contradicted (very much in line with the nature of anxiety) in "How", where she talks about being the only one who can heal her heart, which is "under the weather". This can be a nice reminder when you're feeling anxious; that you are in control of how you feel. Sometimes it's not easy to just change your mood, but I find it can be reassuring to know that it's my own choice. The change doesn't have to be sudden.