Close your eyes and imagine a warm sunny day, the windows are down and you are cruising alone down an old country background...what sounds do you hear? Is it the birds, the whirling of the engine, the rustling of the wind OR _____________ (fill in the blank with your favorite road trip song)? For me, it might be Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces, or Defying Gravity from the soundtrack to Wicked, or Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar. We all have that unique sound, song or playlist that rolls through our mind when given a specific situation.
What if we changed the scene to you are walking into a super big meeting and you absolutely need to be on top of your game, what is playing in your bathroom as you get ready that morning? I not-so-secretly jam to DJ Khaled. Ok, last one, you have made it...you have achieved everything you could have ever imagined and you are about to step on a giant stage to be recognized for your many successes. What song plays as you enter the arena? (I'm still working on my choice for this one, comment below if you have any suggestions) We could do this all day, listing the perfect song for the perfect occasion, but why?
Today, your challenge today is to put yourself in all three of those moments by listening to your chosen selection (or a favorite of your choosing) and LOUDLY! If music is the soundtrack of our lives, what does your sound like...and why is it important to play it? According to Consumer Health Digest, here are 10 reasons we should be doing just that:
Enhance your mood - it just makes you feel better.
Improve memory function - music helps us recall moments, people and things that at times feel long lost or forgotten.
Reduce/prevent anxiety and depression - getting us out of our own head, giving us a little perspective (and a much appreciated endorphin rush).
Open lines of communication - when we sing (even to ourselves) it can improve our vocabulary, enunciation AND boost our confidence for the tasks ahead.
Social interaction - music is something we love to share. “Have you ever heard this?” “Do you remember this one?” “Come on girl, let’s dance!”
Rhythm is gonna move you - nothing makes me feel more like a body-building super-hero than the sounds of Scandal blaring through me ear buds, but it takes a little Justin Timberlake to get them feet moving on the elliptical. What gets you moving?
Pain management - music literally distracts the pain receptacles in our brain. Bring on the Sade!
Emotional control - want to keep an emotion at bay...just sing it out before you return to a public setting. It’ll save you everytime.
Warrior mode - nothing brings on a good dose of bravery like an anthem played at high volume, like this one. Music has the power to change the way we think.
Crank up your immune system - “music promotes the production of the antibody immunoglobulin A and natural killer cells that defend our bodies from viruses.”
Well there you have it...ten fabulous reasons to reach for them earbuds, dust of the turntable and TURN IT UP today. Click here for a link to some of my favorite playlists, then comment below with your top three to encourage the next person in their moment of need. Your doing great....now let’s dance to celebrate!