Music Listening for Self-Management of Anxiety: A Qualitative Survey

Abstract

Anxiety is among the most commonly experienced affective states—prominent in both everyday emotions, and a range of mood disorders. Music seems to be an effective tool for managing negative mood states, but recent research indicates that anxiety may be a particularly challenging state to self-regulate, even for those without diagnosed anxiety disorders. In this study, the use of music for anxiety self-management in everyday life is explored. Data consist of free descriptions by adult participants ( N = 36), collected through an online survey and analyzed with data-led thematic analysis. Findings indicate that music listening is often considered helpful with milder states of anxiety—particularly when an individual has control over the choice of music—and that different regulatory strategies are required to deal with different forms of anxiety. These strategies can provide help in a number of ways, such as recognizing or validating emotions, or positive refocusing. In future research, the possibility of unrecognized maladaptive strategies in music listening should be addressed, as well as the mechanisms behind avoidance of music related to high levels of anxiety.