There’s not a lot that can improve your mood quite as much as a good playlist, uplifting tune or perfect beat to sync your day up with.
Music can be so incredibly powerful with the ability to alter our mood, trigger memories and even help form new ones. It’s something that so many of us know and so many of us love, but music is also something that so many of us struggle to make time for.
During the busy workday, where everything appears to be moving at 100mph or more, it can be a struggle to get through even the most basic of tasks, nevermind make time for something as trivial as a playlist of our favorite songs.
But the benefits of listening to music far outstretch learning the lyrics to that new Katy Perry tune, and we should all make an effort to get more music in our lives. So how exactly can we increase our listening time?
1. Wake up to your favorite melodies
Listening to music can start as early as the second that we wake up thanks to the modern revelation of musical alarm clocks.
Okay, it may not be the most groundbreaking of devices, especially with so many different trick alarm clocks (faux sunlight alarms etc.) hitting the shelves, but there’s something special about waking up to a great song.
By setting up your new-fangled alarm clock, you’ll be able to choose the perfect song to start your day off on the right foot. Be warned though, it’s a wise move to avoid playing the same song to wake up to each morning.
You’ll quickly learn to resent the melody and everything that it stands for as it’s meaning shifts from the once perfect wakeup tune to the song that both kills dreams and forces you up and out of bed.
Stick the songs on shuffle to avoid the PTSD-like symptoms you’ll experience when hearing the dedicated alarm song when out and about, you have been warned.
2. Sing while soapy in the shower
So it’s nice and early, you’ve awoken to the sounds of Otis Reading on shuffle and it’s time to start the day – what’s the first thing that you do?
Well, if you’re anything like me, it’s time to properly wake up and what better way than being covered with an absurd amount of warm water while staring directly at the wall in the shower for 20 to 30 minutes. Sound about right? Thought so.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, showers can be more enjoyable than wondering why the tiles are spaced just slightly differently on the 6th and 7th rows. What’s this magical tool that can improve your shower experiences? It’s simple, it’s the shower speaker.
Singing in the shower is the best combination since Hall and Oates and it’s never been easier with a great shower speaker to take the lead and mask your voice as you belt your favorite tunes down the showerhead.
Transform briefly into Dave Grohl, Chris Martin or Ozzy Osbourne before drying off and getting on with your day with a spring in your step.
3. Add music to the daily commute
And what better way to ensure that there’s rhythm in those steps than by adding music to your daily commute.
There’s always a way to add a tune to transport with the most popular method of musical intervention coming through a great pair of headphones. Whether you’re walking, taking the bus, taking the train, cycling or even skateboarding to work, a great pair of headphones with a great playlist bouncing through your brain is the best way to build your morning.
We appreciate that not all workplaces will allow for music to be played through the workday, but for those that do, there’s nothing stopping you from keeping those headphones firmly implanted as you go about your daily tasks.
We’d recommend a good pair of noise-canceling earbuds, but do be careful when moving through traffic with music blaring.
4. Fill your home with the sounds of local radio
Back home after a long day and it’s time to pop the kettle on, put your feet up and relax.
Instead of sticking the telly on or loading up Netflix on your laptop, it’s never a bad idea to go back to the roots of entertainment and tune in an old school radio to the local station.
Kate Huber, editor a NJGamblingFun, has this to say on the matter: “I believe that old school radio stations have been given a bad rep over the last few years, and that’s just one of the reasons why they’re on the decline. Although online streaming services make it easier than ever to get the songs that we love effortlessly, the simple radio experience is something that cannot be matched.”
The local stations can be filled with great songs that you both may not have heard before or may have completely forgotten about. Plus, if your local is anything like mine, you’ll get to hear Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” at least three guilt-free times in a single day.
Now that’s worth tuning in for by itself.
5. Don’t forget to party
Everyone needs to blow off steam every once in a while and the best way to do so – throw a small party and invite your nearest and dearest.
For that, you’re going to need some hardware that’ll keep on pumping out tunes for as long as you fancy listening to them and no, your laptop speakers aren’t quite going to cut it this time.
A good home speaker is an incredible investment for any occasion – it can be a small friendly get together with beers, cheese and wine night, the party before the party or even a three-year-old’s birthday, if you’ve got great sound quality, the event is already off to a good start.
These days, a high-quality speaker doesn’t have to break the bank and won’t take up an entire corner of your home. With tiny handheld devices more than enough to cater for most homes, you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t picked one up sooner.
And take a Texas party bus for travel!
The takeaway
There are so many ways that music can be added to your life – all you need to do is invest in the devices and make the time throughout your day.
It’ll be more than worth it, trust us.
Author bio: Marina Turea works as content manager at Digital Authority Partners
