5 Uplifting Songs to Start Your Morning

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” ― Leopold Stokowski

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that music has the power to change your entire day - after all, what do we do when we need a pick me up?

Pop on some feel-good tunes. Had a bad break up? Heartfelt Adele ballads or songs to get the sad out if it’s fresh… empowerment tunes from P!nk when we’re ready to move on. Would you play slow jams if you were going for a run or getting on the bike at the gym? Probably not.

Uplifting [uhp-lif-ting]

• adjective - inspirational; offering or providing hope, encouragement, salvation, etc.

Today, we’re sharing some of our most uplifting songs when we need to start our day with the best, most energetic and positive energy we can.

Try these as you get ready, hit the gym before work or class, on your commute or as soon as you put your headphones on when you hit your desk.

1. Adrian Enescu - “Invisible Movies, Part 1”

This may be the best one for right when you get up - it’s got an easy beat, with some classical/ electronic overtones weaving throughout. It’s the perfect soundtrack for some deep breaths, and a bit of a stretch, especially if you had a rough night of sleep.

The singer’s beautiful, almost chanting voice always makes me feel like she’s guiding me into a better version of myself. Here is the hope that today will be refreshing, inspiring and lovely.

2. Sia & Kendrick Lamar - “The Greatest “

Key lyric: “I’m free to be the greatest here tonight.”

You knew Sia was going to be on here. The catchy beat doesn’t overshadow the message about not losing faith in our own abilities - live up to your potential and lose those fears - if you keep your energy up, you can make it happen.

Lamar’s rap wisdom midway through reminds us that we all fall from time to time, but need to keep getting back up if we really want to achieve something great.

3. Prince - “Baby I’m a Star”

Key lyric: “Before this night is through, you will see my point of view.”

This classic but lesser known Purple Rain gem has the power to put a smile on your face - and keep it there. You don’t need to listen to the carefully crafted lyrics to get jazzed up, but if you do, he has a very simple message: Look at me baby, I’m amazing!

It’s also nearly impossible to avoid dancing to this one - if you’ve seen the movie, Prince and his band are having an amazingly 80s experience onstage that you should definitely recreate when you get a chance.

4. Journey - “Any Way You Want It”

Key lyric: “She loves to laugh, she loves to sing, she does everything.”

Don’t Stop Believin’ gets most of the fanfare, but this backseat driver deserves some credit too! It hits you in the jaw with cheer - and hold on for the guitar solo and Steve Perry’s high notes halfway through the song - is it about ordering a sandwich or being sexually free? No one knows and does it matter? Super upbeat.

5. Neon Jungle - “Trouble”

Key lyric: “Here comes a hurricane, Trouble is her middle name.”

Uplifting and rebellious - just try to sit still when you pop this on. It may be a lot first thing in the morning, but there’s no denying it will rev up your heart rate if you let it.

It’s great for the gym and for getting to work when you’re late (it makes you feel like you’re driving faster); this sassy UK girl group is begging you to cheer up and sing along - extra points for bouncing up and down while putting on your make up in the a.m.

The Science of Music

Did you know music therapy is used to help people manage stress levels, build memory and even relieve pain - pretty powerful stuff! Of course, there’s science behind this - one area of this is called neuromusicology - exploring how our nervous system reacts to music.

What is it about music that can change our moods? A lot of folks assume that our deepest feelings come from our hearts, but actually, a huge part of our emotional stimulus come straight from our brains. From our limbic brain region (emotional stimulus and dopamine release) to our sympathetic nervous system, the home base for our fight or flight response, different rhythms affect different parts of our noggins.

This study charged 60 participants who had just experienced failure in their lives to complete a computer task after filling out a survey on how hopeful they were about achieving personal goals. Only half were given musical stimulus after they completed their task. They then all filled out a State Hope Scale survey directly following this to see if their levels of self-hope had changed after completing the computer task. Guess what happened?!

The folks who got the music scored higher than the group who got nothing, meaning the tunes boosted their hopefulness - at least in the moment. Think about what it can do for you when you play it intentionally!

Parting Words

It might be the beat, the instruments, the words or the voice of the singer, but all of these songs in some way have the capacity to lift your mood and change your outlook, maybe just enough for you turn your day around before lunch.

How do you like to start your day? We went for beats to can get your energy flowing, to increase your positivity and to put you in a headspace where you can take a huge bite out of your day. What are your favorite picks for uplifting tunes?

Related Article: Fill Your Soul, Now & Later