Does Your Life Have a Soundtrack?
The title of this blog post asks a unique question. No, I am not asking if you hear music in your head as you go about your day. What I am asking is: Do you use music to help you throughout the day? Do you play music as you go about the day? I use music quite a bit throughout the day, and I believe it is a great aid to those of us with ADHD.
Waking Up
One of my alarms (Yes, I have several) plays the song “Get Up” by the alternative hiphop group clipping. It is a guy (Daveed Diggs of Hamilton fame) rapping over the beat of an alarm clock. (It is a little bit vulgar, so be warned if you decide to listen to it.) This song, in concert with my other alarms, helps me wake up in the morning and get out of bed.
Once I am out of bed, I typically turn on some music to listen to as I get ready for the day. Generally, it is upbeat music, so I continue the waking up process. I generally pick something and listen to it a bunch until I get sick of it. I recently saw a concert by The Goo Goo Dolls, so that has been in heavy rotation on my iPhone. The Hamilton soundtrack is also a go-to. I need my music to get me out of bed and moving in the morning. In short, music helps motivate me.
Motivation
I used to work as a mascot. Before I would lead the team out onto the ice, the arena sound system played AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” To this day, that song gets me hyped up. It gets me motivated. In fact, it’s what I am listening to as I write this blog post. I don’t always work to music with lyrics. Typically, if I want to focus while working, I will tell Alexa to play some classical music.
Focus
My go-to music for focusing while working on writing these blog posts or doing other office work is classical music. I find lyrics distracting. In fact, if you notice any typos in this post, blame it on the fact that I chose “Thunderstruck” to get me hyped while writing this blog post. The lyrics of a song, especially a song I like a lot, can get me thinking about irrelevant things, or they can get me singing. This is not conducive to working hard. I need something calm, and I find that a good classical song will be the ticket.
Calming
Another way I use classical music is to play it when I am stressed. Generally speaking, classical music is soft and quiet. It is soothing. Now, there are some upbeat classical songs, but for the most part, it is relaxing. It helps me de-stress. If I am ever really in need of something calming, I will play Arvo Pärt’s “Spigel im Spiegel.” That is my ultimate calm down song.
How Do You Use Music?
Above, I have described how I use music throughout my day. But, that is me. How you use it will be different. If some of these ideas resonate with you, try using them for yourself. They might work; they might not. What I can promise you is music is powerful. Even if it is just a way to express yourself, try getting music more involved in your life.