What to do in less-than-joyful situations? Try this ...

NOTE: this is a repost of a newsletter I wrote in 2022. But I think it might be helpful as we grapple with how to stay calm and grounded (even joyful) with all that's going on in the world.

You arrive at work, whether at the office or your desk at home. Sleep eluded you last night, you are devoid of energy and dreading the overscheduled work day. But work you must. Yet you know that if you stay in this emotional place, you will accomplish very little, and will get to the end more frustrated than ever. You wonder: is there anything that can help me shift my mood and energize my body?

Yes! Music!

Music is the backdrop that plays throughout our lives – at home, school, place of worship, entertainment, communal spaces. Yet we don’t hear too much about it at work, do we? Somehow, the workplace is expected to be quiet, presumably to limit distractions and help people be more focused and productive. This is contrary to the research:

“In a 2016 Totaljobs survey, 79% of respondents said they’re more productive if they listen to music while they work. Among the survey’s 4,553 respondents, 48% said music helped them focus. Another 24% said it helped them mask external distractions such as noise and conversation. Similarly, 7% said music helped them avoid internal distractions such as irrelevant thoughts.”?– Business News Daily

Why does this happen? Turns out that music increases your dopamine levels, which stimulates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning and organizing i.e. productivity. Music is definitely a productivity booster!

Music also has a profound impact on our emotions – we don’t need science to tell us this – just notice how certain songs make you feel, in a heartbeat. The right kind of music can very quickly transform your mood, regardless of what’s happening externally. Musicians instinctively know how powerful music is as sung by Bob Marley in Trench Town Rock:?“One good thing about music: when it hits you, you feel no pain”.

I have long used music in my workshops, virtual and face-to-face, to set the mood for participants, subtly reinforce messages, and create an uplifting and inspiring experience. But I also use music to lift my own mood, to get me into a joyful state so that I can be of best service to the world. I even created a playlist that I titled “Joyous Morning” – the instant I start it, my morning becomes joyful and happy! I sing, I dance as I check emails, review and update my to-do list and prepare for whatever it is I have to do that day. Even the most mundane tasks feel joyful!

Check out some of the songs on my Joyous Morning playlist, to which I am constantly adding:

• Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
• Arise – Third World
• A Beautiful Morning – The Rascals
• What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
• Happy – Pharrell Williams
• Lovely Day – Bill Withers
• Smile Jamaica – Chronixx
• What the World Needs Now is Love – Burt Bacharach (PLUS Dionne Warwick's version)
• Lively Up Yourself – Bob Marley
• I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin
• Beautiful Day – Jermaine Edwards
• Toast – Koffee
• Mornin’ – Al Jarreau
• Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In - The 5th Dimension
• Oh What a Beautiful Morning - Pentatonix and Billy Porter
• Joy - Chris Stapleton and Santan
• Ragamuffin - Koffee
• I Can - Chronixx
• BIrdland - Weather Report
• Sing a Song - Earth Wind and Fire

Start your day energized, positive and joyful – create your own morning playlist with songs that release the joy in you!