Everyone needs a personal playlist. Whether you keep it on Spotify, Apple Music or let Alexa house it, you need a playlist of tunes that has the power to change your mood, rock your workout and get you dancing while you dust the living room.
For decades, researchers have looked at how music impacts mood and it comes as no surprise to anyone who has cranked up the sad tunes following a breakup, felt your feet begin to move as you walk into a dance club or sung along at the top of your lungs while driving -- music affects mood. Studies show that listening to your favorite, upbeat music causes your body to release the dopamine -- the happiness hormone. Music can alter your mood and fuel your energy.
But here’s the catch. When you need a mood boost, you are not going to feel like selecting a bunch of songs that make you happy. So you need to create the playlist and have it at the ready, to be fired up whenever you need a boost or have a living room to clean.
If you don’t have that list, create it today. Right now. Don’t worry if you don’t get it exactly right the first time, your playlist will be a work in progress as you add new tunes you discover and remove ones that you have tired of.