Music has always been a great source of comfort for me during challenging times. Ever since I was little, when I felt sad, anxious, or overwhelmed, I would turn to my favorite songs. As I’ve grown older, the songs I listen to during hard moments are ones that help me feel less alone in whatever I’m going through. Whether I was struggling to make friends in high school, having a panic attack at work, or crying all my feelings out in my college dorm room, music was always something that would help me through tough times. Here are 10 songs that help me feel better and remind me that everything will be okay.
- “Flowers on the grave” by the maine
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The Maine, who have been open about their experiences with mental illness, wanted to make mental health the main message in their album “You Are Okay.” The final song on this album, “Flowers on the Grave,” is meant to reassure the listener that whatever they are going through is temporary. When you’re in the thick of severe anxiety or depression, it’s easy to feel like you’ll never feel better, and things will always be this difficult. The song is a reminder that this isn’t true and things will be okay again.
Favorite lyric: “Everything is temporary, even the sorrow that you carry.”
- “it’s alright 2 cry” by francis & the lights
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I discovered this song early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, which was pretty appropriate, because I feel like all anyone wanted to do was cry. Many of us grew up conditioned to believe that crying was a negative thing to avoid, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Crying is not only necessary, but a healthy way to express your emotions. This song is a good reminder of that. Put it on loop and cry your heart out!
Favorite lyric: “It’s alright to cry, it might make you feel better, baby.”
- “west” by sleeping at last
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This song is technically about being in a long-distance relationship, but I feel like it applies to any situation where you are struggling and need reassurance. The singer’s repetition of “we’ll be just fine” is so comforting; this song has become my go-to panic attack song for that reason. Sleeping At Last has dozens of other songs with a similar vibe, too, making them perfect to listen to when you don’t feel okay.
Favorite lyric: “Sometimes our compass breaks, and our steady true north fades. We’ll be just fine.”
- “vienna” by billy joel
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I’ve listened to this song almost every day recently because it is so relevant to where I’m at in life. As someone about to graduate college, the idea of living in the “real world” is terrifying. A huge source of anxiety for me recently is not knowing what my future looks like. This song reminds me that it’s okay if I don’t have everything sorted out yet — it will all come together in due time.
Favorite lyric: “Slow down, you’re doing fine. You can’t be everything you want to be before your time.”
- “never quite free” by the mountain goats
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“Never Quite Free” is a song about going through a difficult or traumatic event and having “cautious optimism” that things will not always feel this bad. The repeated message is that it is okay to feel hopeful that things will change. When you’re in a dark place, the idea of being optimistic can be scary since you don’t want to set yourself up for failure. This song is a gentle reminder that it’s okay to have faith that things will get better.
Favorite lyric: “Find some peace inside yourself, lay down your heavy load.”
- “i wanna get better” by the bleachers
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In this song, the lead singer of The Bleachers, Jack Antonoff, tells a story of when he was struggling to cope with loss and grief. The song is heavy, as Antonoff discusses difficult experiences like when he lost multiple family members at a young age. However, despite the obvious hardships Antonoff has faced, the song is a hopeful message about wanting to recover and feel better.
Favorite lyric: “I didn’t know I was broken ‘til I wanted to change.”
- “famous last words” by my chemical romance
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I pretty much had this song on a constant repeat when I was in high school. For the first few months of my freshman year, I really struggled to make friends, and I came home feeling upset and hopeless almost every day. This was one of the songs that pushed me forward on days when it felt too hard. The lyric below helped me so much; it was sort of a mantra that kept me going on days when I just wanted to lay in bed and be miserable.
Favorite lyric: “I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone.”
- “move along” by the all-american rejects
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Sometimes we can easily make our problems go away in life, but unfortunately, that is not usually the case. Most times, we have to either grit our teeth and stick something out or put in the work to move through our pain. This song is a good reminder that we don’t have to fix everything 100% — all that matters is we keep moving forward.
Favorite lyric: “When everything is wrong, we move along.”
- “you’ll be okay” by a great big world
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“You’ll Be Okay” is another great song to cry to. It has almost a lullaby feel, and the repetition of the phrase “You’ll be okay” is comforting and a reminder that all of us need to hear every once in a while. This song is also perfect for anxious moments when you need to breathe deep and slow everything down — it’s a great reminder that, as cheesy as it sounds, you will be okay.
Favorite lyric: “You’ll be okay. Just look inside, you’ll know the way.”
- “change” by taylor swift
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“Change” is the ultimate song about perseverance. The final song on Swift’s “Fearless” album, “Change” is about overcoming obstacles and believing in your own abilities. Even when things feel impossible, there is always hope that tomorrow will be better.
Favorite lyric: “You can walk away, say we don’t need this, but there’s something in your eyes says we can beat this.”
I’m so grateful for the positive impact music has had on my life, especially during times when I’ve needed extra comfort or reassurance. Even when I’m going through tough times, I know that these songs and many others will be there to help me through them.