These songs are for those of you who have been struggling under the pressures and demands of daily life. We all experience the feelings of stress and of being overwhelmed. These songs are tailored toward those who are struggling with mental illness. They will remind you that everyone struggles and nobody on the face of this earth is “perfect.”
1. “Human” by Christina Perri.
This song is about vulnerability and staying strong when people are trying to bring you down. It is about making peace with the fact “that you are only human.” You can only say, do and handle so much. You realize that you can't change what people think of you. Boo-hoo. Start doing your own thing and stick up for yourself when you feel it is necessary. It does not matter who you are standing against: an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, a best friend or even a family member.
Despite the times you struggled, you find the strength to stay confident in who you are and what you stand for. This song is about standing up tall and feeling proud of what you have already accomplished in this life. You believe with all of your heart that you have the power to be happy if you can just comprehend your undeniable worth and realize what you are truly capable of achieving.
2. “Me, Myself, and I” by G-Eazy x Bebe Rexha.
This song is about depression and anxiety. It is about figuring out that, in order to have happy and healthy relationships with others, you must first have a happy and healthy relationship with yourself. This song is about not wanting to engage with the people around you because your mind is constantly elsewhere, consistently racing with thoughts and worries.
Large groups of people can be overwhelming — even terrifying. All you want to do is go home and recharge. You realize that you need to pull yourself together, believe in yourself and be brave in order to get yourself through the situation. It is about believing in yourself first and foremost and not counting on others to save you.
3. “Kill Em With Kindness” by Selena Gomez.
This song is about being gracious, polite and kind to people. You never know what someone could be struggling with and you should always think before you speak. The song stresses the importance of trying to stay classy and composed even when people are totally out-of-line, nasty, mean or rude to you. It is about realizing that words are powerful and they can hurt people. You should always strive to be kind and compassionate unless someone blatantly gives you a very good reason not to be.
This song is about being the bigger person, extending your hand and actively attempting to make amends or simply to be polite to the people who have done you wrong or deeply hurt you in the past.
4. Beautiful Now by Zedd ft. Jon Bellion.
I believe that this song could be seen as a tribute to those who are struggling in the wake of the new immigration policy enacted by President Trump. It is also for those in the LGBTQ+ community who are rightfully distraught that their rights — and even their very existence — is not being acknowledged by our government.
This music video takes you on a journey to better understand some of the struggles that people are facing around the world. This music video also follows the story of a teenage girl with depression. After surviving a suicide attempt, she resolves to live an amazing life filled with hope, dreams, creativity and imagination.
This song is about believing that you can control and change the direction of your life if you work hard enough at it. You can overcome mental illness and you can get yourself through painful times. It is hard work, but it is well worth it. It is about wanting to take advantage of every day so you can live the best life that you possibly can.
I hope that those of you who have been struggling can take away the powerful messages that these songs convey. I hope that those who have struggled in the past can make peace with their present and move onto pursing a happy and successful future!
