The Songs That Hold Me When I Can’t Hold Myself

There are moments when I don’t need advice.

I don’t need perspective.

I don’t need to “process.”

I just need something to hold me steady long enough for my nervous system to remember where it is.

That’s where music comes in.

Certain songs don’t demand anything from me. They don’t ask me to feel better or understand what I’m feeling. They don’t rush me toward resolution. They just sit with me — steady, familiar, regulating.

They become structure when my thoughts are too loud.

They become rhythm when everything feels scattered.

They give my body something predictable to follow when my brain won’t cooperate.

I don’t choose these songs because they’re happy. I choose them because they’re honest. Because they understand tension. Because they know what it means to exist in the in-between — not falling apart, not fully okay either.

Sometimes it’s the repetition that helps.

Sometimes it’s the voice.

Sometimes it’s knowing exactly what comes next.

And sometimes it’s just the comfort of having something external carry the weight for a few minutes so I don’t have to.

I think we underestimate how powerful that is — letting art do the holding when we can’t. Letting sound create a container. Letting music be a form of care instead of background noise.

You don’t have to explain why a song works for you.

You don’t have to justify listening to it on repeat.

If it steadies you, that’s reason enough.

Some days, that’s all I need.

You don’t have to explain it.

You don’t have to justify it.

But if you want to share

What’s the song that keeps you out of the upside down?