“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” — Dalai Lama
I love this quote because in my experience a positive mindset creates positive thoughts. But what or who is responsible for your positive attitude? YOU of course. Sometimes that takes effort. A great way to change your thoughts is through meditation, but sometimes even that doesn’t work, that’s when you must bring out the big guns: Music and movement.
I have an uplifting playlist of songs on my phone that I turn to help me lift my mood. I click play and before I know it, my feet start tapping, I begin to hum along and within minutes, I am dancing and singing at the top of my voice and grinning from ear to ear. That smile then provokes positive thoughts I take with me into the day.
According to Alex Fuentes from National Alliance of Mental Illness, “Music can have a positive, immediate impact on our mental state; fast tempos can psychologically and physically arouse us, helping energize us for the day. Slower, meditative tunes can help us to relax and lower our stress level.”
Here are some of my favorite songs to lift my moods.
Feeling Good-
Nina Simone version I love
Michael Buble has a great jazzy one too.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Flashdance-What a feeling- Irene Cara
Dancing Queen- Abba
Three Little Birds- Bob Marley and the Wailers
I Wanna Dance with Somebody- Whitney Houston
Anything early Beatles
What’s on your uplift playlist?