Driving in to the office this morning, I quickly flipped through my favorite radio stations, searching through hip-hop – no, modern rock – no, reggaeton – no, and pop – no. Ouh. It was too early in the morning, and my head couldn’t handle any of it. I was tired and late, rushing to get to work on time, and annoyed by all the other cars on the road.

But then I got to the classical station, and I knew I had found my groove. I felt my entire body relax, my breath deepen, my pulse settle down, and a smile of contentment spread across my face. For the rest of my drive, I was calm and happy.

I am always amazed at how music can affect my mood. It can bring me joy, happiness, sadness, and energy. It can move me to tears, provide relief, reduce stress, influence decisions, motivate me at the gym, and inspire my creativity.

Understanding music as both a source of energy and a form of expression, it is easy to see how it can transform your mood and emotions as well as your physical well-being. When a musician translates their thoughts and emotions into their music, it takes on an energy that transfers to us when we hear it.

Musicians use lyrics to tell us their thoughts (obviously), but they also use things like tempo to communicate. A slow tempo slows our heart-rate and physically calms us, while a fast tempo speeds our heart-rate and pumps us up. A musician who wishes to convey a broken heart uses a slow tempo and sings their innermost feelings to have us grabbing for the nearest box of Kleenex (think Celine Dion, My Heart Will Go On), while a musician who is excited about life uses an upbeat tempo and rallying lyrics to get us “dancing in the street” (thank you, Martha & The Vandellas).

Music certainly has a powerful affect on us, and we can use it to our advantage. Listening to the right music at the right time is a wonderful way to lift a bad mood or calm to a stressed one. Here are some of my top mood music picks:

Relaxation - A Day Without Rain, Enya / Samba da Bencao, Bebel Gilberto

Happiness – On An Evening in Roma, Dean Martin / Send Me On My Way, Rusted Root

Inspiration – New World, Bjork / The Promise, The Piano Soundtrack

Energy – Safety Dance, Men Without Hats / Krazy Krush, Ms. Dynamite

What are your mood-lifting songs? Collect them all and make a CD for the car or plug them into your Ipod, and you can be happy and stress-free wherever you go!

~Kristen

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