Xavi's Playlist Archive

My personal playlists and the stories behind them

This Is:

cha(nging)vi

The Playlist That Helped Me Through Burnout

The Story Behind This Playlist

This is the playlist that started everything — not just my biggest change in life, but also the way I curate playlists.

In 2020, a few months into therapy after struggling with a burnout and one of the lowest points in my life — I was slowly starting to feel a bit more grounded. During one session, my therapist gave me a task:

To create the soundtrack of my healing process

I immediately opened Spotify (I was already obsessed with playlists back then hehe) and started adding the tracks I’d been playing on repeat for the past few months — the ones that got me through the day, especially during my morning commutes to work, when everything felt heavy.

Playlist change burnout

When I Used This Playlist

I played this playlist every single day to embrace the change I was going through and to shift toward a more positive mindset.

As the weeks passed, I continued adding songs that were lighter and more hopeful, reflecting the shift in how I felt as I began recovering from the burnout.

I kept using this playlist until I quit the company that had burned me out.

How This Playlist Helped Me

Curating this playlist made me realize how I’d been using music during the hardest times — to feel understood, process my emotions, integrate the learnings, and inspire myself to take action.

The playlist gave helped to move forward. As I assembled those tracks, I unlocked a new way of self-regulation: using music not just as a distraction, but as a tool for reflection and healing.

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Top 3 Tracks

People, I've been sad - Christine and the Queens

To realise and accept that I was struggling with life, and that I felt disconnected from everyone and everything.

Yes I'm Changing - Tame Impala

To process the changes I was going through in therapy and embrace the decisions I was making.

Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine

To spark hope and find the motivation to get out of bed and go to the office. A classic than never fails.

Lyrics Highlight

“I didn’t know I was broken till I wanted to change”

I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers

Prompts That Helped Me

What songs might ease my anxiety on the way to work?

What songs talk about change?

How do I want to feel once this is over — and which songs make me feel that way?

Picture of Xavi

Xavi

If I were a playlist, the title would be short and sweet (and creative), the description would include a pop culture reference, and the thumbnail would be a late ’90s anime frame with a nostalgic aesthetic

Wait a moment... This is exactly how my playlists are!!!

Got a personal playlist to share?

Share it with me!

If any of these playlists resonate with you — or if you’ve made one that tells your story — I’d love to hear it.