52+ Songs that Make Everything Better

I asked and you delivered. 

A couple of weeks ago I posted on Facebook and Instagram asking: Do you have a song that helps to keep your spirits up during the work day? Or a song that helps you feel brave during the tough moments? 

You responded with such a fun, oddball mix of songs from Missy Elliott to George Michael and The Four Tops to Sugarland. You shared the songs that comfort you in hard times, get you dancing, keep you energized when you're cleaning kennels, and make you feel brave.
 
I want all of you to be able to lean into the music whenever you need the same, so I created a public playlist on Spotify. I'm calling it The Compassionate Badassery Playlist. 

You can listen to it here.

Crank this up on your car ride home as a way to transition into your personal life. Or you can use this playlist at work...

The next time your stress levels are through the roof and you need to steady yourself, grab a friend and throw a 2 minute dance party in an office, play yard, or your car. I want you to literally dance the accumulated stress out of your body with a buddy. 

And here's one more way to use music to help reduce your stress and relax into sleep: listen to songs that are 60 beats per minute. 

Research indicates that music around 60 beats per minute can cause the brain to synchronize with the beat - this causes the alpha brainwaves that are present when we are relaxed and conscious.

If you want to use the music to help you sleep, 1 or 2 songs probably won't do it right away. Researchers suggest listening for a couple of days, for at least 45 minutes, in a relaxed position. Eventually you're brain will sync up a little quicker and viola! Snoozeville. 

Here's a playlist of songs that are 60 beats per minute. And pretty much everything by Bon Iver works. 

And here are some resources for very calming music (mostly instrumental) for sleep. Plus this song that's supposed to lull you right into calmness.