From a young age, I learned to associate the sound of music in the mornings with happy memories of me and my family. I can remember waking up to the sound of our radio on in the kitchen, Billy Joel’s ‘Vienna’ filtering through into my room along with the smell of butter and pancakes. Whether it was the music, the smell of food, or my natural body clock that woke me up, I was roused from sleep on a positive note from the very beginning of my day. Without me realizing it, it helped to set the tone for my morning.
When I think about creating a fulfilling morning routine that involves music, I think about satiated my physical being and my emotional being. For my physical being, I like going to the gym in the morning because I find that that’s when I am at my best and train my hardest. If I can’t make it to the gym, I’ll find some way to be physically active at home, whether that’s doing an at-home workout circuit or just stretching my body on a yoga mat… because I’ve never properly done yoga. But, I will stretch and pretend that I can do it. Even that has ties to music, because sometimes it’s the songs you play that dictate whether you run that extra mile, do that last pull up, or finish the last bit of your yoga flow. And once you’re done, you feel calmer, more accomplished and have subconsciously associate the music you were listening to, to that feeling of productivity.
In terms of feeding that emotional being, music can be a very important step towards a positive morning. It can be seen as a way for you to literally take control of your mood for the rest of the day, by selecting songs that brings you a sense of calm, a feeling of empowerment, and sometimes a little bit of melancholy to slow you down. While I’m going through the motions of making my coffee and breakfast, I like to throw on my favourite Amy Winehouse album and sing and dance around my kitchen. I could write an entire post about her specifically and the impacts she’s had on my life, but I’ll leave it at the fact that she’s one of my favourite singers of all time and her music always puts me at ease. I’ve learned to associate certain genres of music, and some specific artists, to a calmer state of mind.
Each day brings a different feeling. Sometimes you wake up stressed because you have to rush to work, you have kids to think about, or a list of things you need to accomplish by the end of the day. And on days like that, you don’t have time to slow down and listen to music and that’s completely fine. But, you should prioritize a moment of stillness at some point during those 24 hours, a moment dedicated just to you. A moment where you’re not thinking about your responsibilities and obligations and can get lost in a song for a few minutes. Often, we get swept up in the whirl wind of our lives and forget that we are our most important priority. By making the time for music, we make time for feelings of inner peacefulness and a better state of mind.
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a good morning!
Sy