Note: In this post, I talk about mental and physical health. If this is something that might be a bit too much for you, feel free to skip this post. It’s nothing too deep or dark, but I thought I would put this warning here anyway just in case.
Listening to music has become an important part of my healing process, and this is something that I am really grateful for.
I used to love listening to music, but when my mental and physical health took a downward turn a few years ago, I stopped listening to a lot of mainstream music.
I ended up with really bad vitamin deficiencies (iron, B12, vitamin D), which had a huge impact on my brain and body and how it functioned. My chronic pain and chronic fatigue also got a lot worse, and I have also developed some other issues that contribute to some of this. Let’s just say all this really impacted my mental health, and I found myself in a place where I was scared to feel a range of emotions because I was not feeling great (listening to music can evoke this depending on the type of music you’re listening to).
I guess I lost a lot of trust in my ability to cope with things.
Instead, I opted for listening to calming music like Lofi (which I discovered around this time) and instrumental music, because I found it calming. At this time, that is what my brain needed.
While a lot of my health issues are still present today, I am in a lot better of a place mentally. I still have physical health issues that aren’t really going anywhere. My vitamin deficiencies have improved (I had to have an Iron infusion, I have regular B12 injections (1 every 3 months), and I take some Vitamin D once a month. (These developed because I have food intolerances and over time they decrease, resulting in being very vitamin deficient, but it’s a lot better now thankfully.))
I still listen to Lofi music. I like to listen to it for focus and relaxation, especially if I need something calming or non-distracting (like for when I am writing blog posts or when my brain just feels chaotic), but I am beginning to branch out and consume mainstream music again.
I have found myself gravitating toward music that I find quite nostalgic. Like music I grew up listening to, either because my parents listened to it or music I liked growing up, or that was popular at the time. I am listening to lots of music from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s.
It’s been really interesting to see who I am gravitating towards listening to regularly. There have definitely been some bands and artists that I didn’t expect to like as much as I have. Like Fleetwood Mac and Shania Twain, just to name a couple.
I’ve found listening to bands like Fleetwood Mac quite interesting. I knew who they were; I had heard their songs on the radio over the decades, but I didn’t know much about them, and because of their unique style (having a few lead singers), it can be hard to recognise some of their songs as being from the same band.
Though in saying that, I am actually more familiar with their songs than I thought I was.
I purchased two of their albums late last year, and they have become a really important part of my healing process. ‘Rumours’ in particular (which is an Amazing album, one of the best albums I have listened to this year. Highly recommend) has become very special to me.
This has become an album I listen to when I need to process some things (but also just want to sing along and have a great time with).
I first listened to this album the day after my puppy went to heaven (January 3rd 2026 was the first time I listened to it; he passed on January 2nd). I sat with headphones on and listened to it on vinyl. I sat, listened and let the emotions I had been holding in flow through me. I took the time to just be and listen to the music.
It ended up being quite therapeutic.
Since then, both ‘Rumours’ and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Greatest Hits’ album have become an important part of my healing process and just generally some of my favourite albums to listen to.
I have to say that liking their music as much as I have has really surprised me; who would have thought that an album that came out 10 years before I was even born would have such an impact on me. Crazy.
Shania Twain has been another one that has really surprised me as well. I have always known her music but only really from one album, ‘Come on Over ’, which I grew up listening to. But I have been collecting a few of her other albums from the 1990s – 00s and have been really enjoying listening to them. (‘Up’ is also a great album of hers, and it comes in 3 variations: ‘Rock’ (Red) (my favourite version),’ Country’ (green) and ‘International/world version’ (blue), which was inspired by Indian film music. I’ve never seen an album that was released in so many style variations before, but it’s really cool.)
I never thought of myself as a fan of country music, but because of listening to her music, I am now branching out and have recently picked up a few other albums from different country artists like Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, The Chicks, etc.
I am really grateful to be finding joy in listening to mainstream music again. It makes me happy to be listening to older music I love, as well as discovering new music (well, new to me anyways).
I have found listening to music I grew up with is helping me heal. And with everything that has happened over the last few years, I have a lot to work through. I feel like it’s helping to heal my inner child too, one who’s been through a lot over the years and needs someone to tell them it’s all going to be okay and that they are loved and supported. And that is something I am also really grateful for. (As someone who wasn’t diagnosed with Autism and Adhd until my 30s, I have gone through life feeling confused about why I am like I am, and after being diagnosed I went through a time of grieving who I could have been had I known about this growing up. Not only could I have understood myself better, but maybe other people in my life could have as well.)
In one of my previous posts, I talked about ‘How Perfectionism is affecting my creativity and what I post’.
So, in this post, I am trying to break down barriers of what I think a post should look like. And showing vulnerability by sharing some personal stories.
In my mind, I sometimes feel that my life is boring and that I shouldn’t talk about personal experiences like my chronic illness or mental health, because I feel like people don’t want to hear about that stuff or that I will sound overdramatic or like I am complaining too much. (Though this is probably just me getting in my own head, as always.) But the truth is I really like when I see writers include their own personal stories in their work, and so why shouldn’t I share bits of my own?
I also have to remind myself that this is my blog where I can post whatever I want and that sometimes a blog post can look like one thing and then sometimes it can be another. That they don’t have to all be the same, and sometimes they can just be personal stories or sharing things that bring me joy (not highly structured posts).
This post is helping me break down those preconceived notions on what a post should be. So if you enjoyed this post and got to the end, Thank You. Thank you to everyone who follows me here; I am really grateful. (I am sharing a lot of gratitude in this post 😊)
I post on here for me, and sometimes I need to remind myself of that, but if my posts also help someone else, then that makes me happy too.
Until next time, I hope you have a great day.
Erin.
P.s Find your favourite album (or song), put it on and take a moment to feel the joy it brings you. Even sing along or dance, even if you’re not good at it. It doesn’t matter.
P.s.s Be careful with what you listen to depending on your mood; if you’re feeling depressed or sad, don’t pick something too dark; pick something else instead, something more upbeat or calming.
And if you are having a really hard time and need to talk, then talk to a friend, family member or a counsellor. You don’t have to carry it alone.
Disclaimer – This post is not sponsored and doesn’t contain any affiliate links; any links included are for reference only in case you are interested in checking out a mentioned link or purchasing a reviewed product. Check out my full Disclaimers here, including AI use on my blog.
Credits – Albums Featured in photos: photo 1 – Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Greatest Hits’ on Vinyl (Warner Records), Photo 2 – Fleetwood Mac ‘Rumours’ on Cd & Vinyl (Warner Records), Photo 3 – Shania Twain’s Albums ‘Come on Over’ & ‘Up!’ (Mercury Records)
Note: These were the details on the physical albums; these may or may not be the current copyright holders of the music featured on these albums.
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