Dr. Ethan Kross

Well, but I've always been very eclectic because after that, it was Madonna's Immaculate Collection. And I'm all over the place. I love lots of music. But I've been listening to music all my life, and I never thought to use it strategically as a tool to push my emotions around until I have this experience with my daughter. I'm coaching soccer several years ago.

I look forward to this every weekend. It's like my release. Not because I'm an obnoxious soccer dad, mind you. It's just very different from my day job. And this one morning, she's just in a I think I could say it without hurting her feelings. She'd admit that she's in a foul mood, right? She just doesn't want to go play. She's moping around.

I look forward to this every weekend. It's like my release. Not because I'm an obnoxious soccer dad, mind you. It's just very different from my day job. And this one morning, she's just in a I think I could say it without hurting her feelings. She'd admit that she's in a foul mood, right? She just doesn't want to go play. She's moping around.

I look forward to this every weekend. It's like my release. Not because I'm an obnoxious soccer dad, mind you. It's just very different from my day job. And this one morning, she's just in a I think I could say it without hurting her feelings. She'd admit that she's in a foul mood, right? She just doesn't want to go play. She's moping around.

I do everything I can to break her out of this funk unsuccessfully. I succumb. I'm like, all right, this is going to be a long morning. We get in the car. As we're driving on the way to the soccer field, one of my favorite songs comes on the radio, Journeys Don't Stop Believin'. I start jamming out. I'm like bopping my head. I'm leaning into the song.

I do everything I can to break her out of this funk unsuccessfully. I succumb. I'm like, all right, this is going to be a long morning. We get in the car. As we're driving on the way to the soccer field, one of my favorite songs comes on the radio, Journeys Don't Stop Believin'. I start jamming out. I'm like bopping my head. I'm leaning into the song.

I do everything I can to break her out of this funk unsuccessfully. I succumb. I'm like, all right, this is going to be a long morning. We get in the car. As we're driving on the way to the soccer field, one of my favorite songs comes on the radio, Journeys Don't Stop Believin'. I start jamming out. I'm like bopping my head. I'm leaning into the song.

And normally when I do this, she will look at me with disdain because I'm embarrassing her. But I look at her in the rear view mirror and I see she is, she's kind of getting into it as well. This song had rerouted our collective experience in that vehicle. She went on to score a ton of goals. It was a great day. Since that moment,

And normally when I do this, she will look at me with disdain because I'm embarrassing her. But I look at her in the rear view mirror and I see she is, she's kind of getting into it as well. This song had rerouted our collective experience in that vehicle. She went on to score a ton of goals. It was a great day. Since that moment,

And normally when I do this, she will look at me with disdain because I'm embarrassing her. But I look at her in the rear view mirror and I see she is, she's kind of getting into it as well. This song had rerouted our collective experience in that vehicle. She went on to score a ton of goals. It was a great day. Since that moment,

This is one of the first things I will do if I find myself moving in a direction I don't want to be moving. Now, what's really interesting to me about music, we often use this tool to regulate ourselves, but in a way that is not consistent with our goals. And what do I mean by that?

This is one of the first things I will do if I find myself moving in a direction I don't want to be moving. Now, what's really interesting to me about music, we often use this tool to regulate ourselves, but in a way that is not consistent with our goals. And what do I mean by that?

This is one of the first things I will do if I find myself moving in a direction I don't want to be moving. Now, what's really interesting to me about music, we often use this tool to regulate ourselves, but in a way that is not consistent with our goals. And what do I mean by that?

You ever get sad and find yourself, rather than listening to Journey, you go to... Well, Journeys Don't Stop Believing, you go to another one of their songs, or you go to Adele or some other music to just kind of bring you down a little bit more. Lewis Capaldi is my go-to, yeah. Okay, so now... We talked earlier about there being a functionality to sadness.

You ever get sad and find yourself, rather than listening to Journey, you go to... Well, Journeys Don't Stop Believing, you go to another one of their songs, or you go to Adele or some other music to just kind of bring you down a little bit more. Lewis Capaldi is my go-to, yeah. Okay, so now... We talked earlier about there being a functionality to sadness.

You ever get sad and find yourself, rather than listening to Journey, you go to... Well, Journeys Don't Stop Believing, you go to another one of their songs, or you go to Adele or some other music to just kind of bring you down a little bit more. Lewis Capaldi is my go-to, yeah. Okay, so now... We talked earlier about there being a functionality to sadness.

And if your goal is to stay in that emotional state because it's serving you well, it's helping you reframe things in ways that are ultimately productive, great. Keep listening to that music. But if your goal is to not feel sad, Don't go listen to that song. Go in the opposite direction. So, you know, that's a little insight into how sensation can work.

And if your goal is to stay in that emotional state because it's serving you well, it's helping you reframe things in ways that are ultimately productive, great. Keep listening to that music. But if your goal is to not feel sad, Don't go listen to that song. Go in the opposite direction. So, you know, that's a little insight into how sensation can work.

And if your goal is to stay in that emotional state because it's serving you well, it's helping you reframe things in ways that are ultimately productive, great. Keep listening to that music. But if your goal is to not feel sad, Don't go listen to that song. Go in the opposite direction. So, you know, that's a little insight into how sensation can work.

But all of the sensory channels can be leveraged to shift your emotions. You don't want to abuse them because they are so powerful. We often reflexively go to them. There are obviously some unhealthy forms of sensory experiences that we can engage in that can push us in the wrong direction. Emotional overeating as an example.