Have you ever noticed that commercials and motivational videos always have music? There’s a reason for that: the power of music can motivate  you to take action…like buy products.

I’ve been very public about the fact that I have anxiety and depression. There are moments when medication and appointments with my psychologist just don’t cut it. I can’t manage to get out of my chair to do anything. One tool always works, without fail; the power of music is transformative and I want to share it with you.

Genre

The genre of what moves you doesn’t honestly matter. I listen to a huge variety of music:  country, rap, rock, punk, dub step and classical. I even listen to Don Omar and Aventura, when I don’t understand much Spanish. My moods dictate which music will move me. This morning I’m listening to the Linkin Park station on Pandora, which includes artists like Eminem and Limp Bizkit. It’s not my normal jam, but it sure was in high school, and it has a special place in my heart. I can’t normally listen to it when the kids are around so it’s a special treat for my soul.

Volume

I honestly listen to music as loud as socially acceptable. If I’m alone the music is cranked high most of the time, and if there are other people around I try my best to be considerate. Of course with the kids around I have to be able to hear cries, questions and the constant barrage of “Mom”. When we are in the truck and there’s bickering going on, screw it…the music’s getting loud. My son knows “Track 8” on my Disturbed CD* means that Mama is at her limit…time to quiet down.

There are times when the power of music in the truck backfires. When I turn up the music the children begin raising their voices as well. The cab ends up being a chaotic whirlwind of noise until I turn the music off. I have to explain to the kids that I turned up the music to hear it and still can’t hear it. Sometimes that helps…sometimes it doesn’t. The same is true of restaurant music, and Psychology Today did an interesting article about restaurant music if you are interested.

Distraction vs Motivation

I am known for identifying an artist and song title upon hearing the first note. I type faster and work better when I am listening to music, but there are times (like if I can’t remember the artist) when it’s just distracting. I’ll have to stop everything to look up who the heck does that song. Some songs are just impossible to work to…I’ll have to and have a quick dance session before carrying on with my work.

No, that isn’t me…come on now. Let’s take a moment to admire her abs though, shall we?

Let’s think about that problem. I have depression. I can hardly shower some days, but one of the biggest “problems” with listening to music is that I’ll dance my ass off and act like a fool for 4 minutes? Pure joy. That’s not a problem in my book, that’s an insane success. So although music can distract from getting things done, overall it helps WAY more than it distracts.

Empowering Children

The power of music applies to kids. When they have too much energy, allowing them to dance and get crazy is incredibly helpful. Turning on music while they do art helps inspire creativity. According to Peaceful Parents Confident Kids, music can also help kids focus. Their short attention spans make staying on task difficult, and even the most experienced parents and teachers struggle with keeping kids focused. Music at a low volume helps quiet their thoughts and calm their internal dialogue.

*Disclaimer

Yes, I still listen to CDs. I’m no good at downloading music and if my truck still had a tape player I would be incredibly happy to listen to tapes. I’m pretty old school, and might have the soul of a 90-year-old.

how does the power of music move you?

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