Enhancing the emotional wellness of OTs through music
As occupational therapists (OTs), we’re dedicated to empowering the people we serve to experience optimal and holistic wellness. Amid the devotion to our work and to our other life roles, multiple and competing demands can make it easy for us to neglect our own emotional well-being. We’re vulnerable to burnout, which affects our professional effectiveness and our personal lives.
Being in this situation myself several times during my 18-year career as an OT, I’ve devoted myself to finding effective and kind emotional wellness modalities. By kind, I mean the type of modality that gives without calling on us to exert cognitive or emotional energy we may not have at that time.
The value I placed on my contribution as an OT was a motivator to consider myself holistically and to take responsibility for my emotional wellness. It was a motivator to ‘OT myself’.
“‘When considering ourselves holistically, we acknowledge the emotional aspect of ourselves. We acknowledge that our emotions affect how we experience and engage in our role as an OT. And we acknowledge our emotional needs – the emotional needs that arise in the course of being an OT, as well as those that arise in the broader context of our lives.’”
In the process of ‘OTing myself,’ I became aware of the therapeutic value music had in my life. I began to use music intentionally to express and transform my emotional states.
Choosing to listen to specific music at specific times enabled me to experience and release emotions I was unconsciously avoiding or only partially experiencing. It supported me to evoke emotions I desired to experience, such as contentment, joy and enthusiasm.
I began to curate therapeutic playlists for myself.
I began to listen to songs that would release emotional energy in the car between clinical appointments. I did this so that, instead of feeling the weight of responsibility growing heavier with each passing hour, I could soothe myself and rejuvenate.
Balancing personal stress with professional responsibilities was a challenge for me, particularly when my boys were little. The impacts of their neurodiversity often led me to feeling frazzled and emotionally depleted = before I started work. I started singing (ok… it was probably closer to screaming…) to music from the day-care and school drop off to work so I could release the stress and feel emotionally more capable to show up as an OT and leader to the standard I held for myself.
Amid the emotional demands inherent in our lives, OTs require moments of respite to rejuvenate and sustain our ability to contribute meaningfully and optimally. The intentional use of listening to music can be a kind and immediate way to do this.
By listening to music as an intentional practice, OTs can nurture our emotional wellness and empower ourselves to make a positive impact. Taking a holistic approach to our wellness aligns seamlessly with the core principles of occupational therapy, enriching both our personal and professional lives.
I curated this playlist to evoke a more optimistic and resilient disposition, and to accompany the Reduce Stress & Build Resilience online course for OTs.
I hope you enjoy and benefit from it.