Music Therapy Mixtape

This may totally date me, but I love a mixtape!! I remember spending hours in my room painstakingly making mixes back when they were actually on cassette tapes and then CDs. I loved to give them and receive them as a way to not just share music but to share feelings and moods that were hard to express through mere words. Since MP3s have replaced the physical tape or CD, I've kept up making playlists as a musical diary to connect to how I'm feeling about myself and my relationships and my life. 

The other day, I was listening to a mix when a song came on that really spoke to me. It was a love song and, excuse me for being a cheesy therapist, but it reflected my relationship with myself. Gross, right! Ha! But seriously, it was a great moment of noticing where I'm at with my own growth in my relationship with myself - especially because there's been a lot of angsty 90's grunge on past mixes that expressed, in no uncertain terms, how much I loathed myself and my life. 

But all of my music mixes have been part of me building the relationship with myself.

Even when I was mad or sad with myself, I was starting to connect with myself and have that internal conversation to explore and challenge thoughts and feelings that I was dealing with. It helped even when it was dark. 

No matter where you're at in your journey, I'd suggest giving musical journaling a try. See if you can look for and create a mix that expresses how you feel about yourself. Maybe its angry break up songs, maybe its love songs. Whatever it is, start to explore. And if it's all angry, or if you don’t even know how you feel about you, reach out - helping build the relationship with yourself is my jam!!