Nothing feels more urgent than anxiety. We humans have a peculiar way of experiencing intense emotions. Whenever we crave drama or emotional turmoil, we surrender to those feelings in ways that rarely make sense. Perhaps that is why some emotions seem to exist in direct opposition to reason. My period is just around the corner, and maybe much of my sensitivity comes from that. I am not even sure how to describe premenstrual syndrome with words, but if I had to choose one, it would be chaos.
"Mom, music calms the beasts," my daughter said, interrupting the conversation I was having with my boyfriend, who was already making an extra effort to put up with me. Having your period is not an excuse for bad behavior, of course, but it is remarkably easy to judge when you are not the one whose body chemistry has suddenly taken control. I walked into my room and decided to take my daughter's joke seriously. I put together a quick playlist and immediately realized that, objectively speaking, Selena has no business sharing the same queue with Arctic Monkeys, and Olivia Rodrigo certainly does not belong between Nina Simone tracks.
That is how unpredictable those special days can be. As I write this, I cannot help but notice that even my words sound more dramatic than usual. At least this month, music and humor have become part of something we rarely talk about openly. Good music feels comforting, but it is also strangely revealing, even for a woman in her thirties. There are songs that work better than chocolate during these days, and there are tears we know are coming long before they finally fall, yet we almost welcome them.
It is Tuesday. The workday goes on because life never stops. Still, I like knowing that I always find allies. My family jokes about my ever-changing mood, but music is what gives meaning to that overwhelming emotional intensity that so many women experience every month. Sometimes the simplest answer is also the best one. Music has always been there for us, accompanying every stage of our lives.
So when what feels like the end of the world arrives every single month, I hold on to the comforting habit of listening to music to calm the beast living inside me. I have to admit, it is amazing how many completely different songs a woman can genuinely enjoy over the course of just a couple of hours. And in a world overflowing with bad news and economic uncertainty, few things are as comforting as singing at the top of your lungs, whether the songs make you happy or deliberately break your heart.
