Presented by Spotify
2018 is creeping up quickly, which means that it’s time to start thinking about what the New Year has in store for you.
Whether your goal is to learn a new language, find motivation to get fit, be less stressed and more mindful, improve your memory, or become an entrepreneur, music and podcasts can help propel you to success. Consider these 5 areas that you could improve on in the coming year.
1. Memory
Not only does music soothe the soul, but it has also been shown to positively affect memory tasks –particularly music that induces “emotive states.” This is because music activates the limbic system (which is involved in memory and emotional processing). In addition, “therapeutic” music has been used to enhance memory in Alzheimer’s disease patients through provoking emotional responses. Whether you are hoping to improve your memory for school or remember to take out the garbage, Spotify can help with playlists like Intense Studying, Study Zone, and Instrumental Study, all of which feature soothing tracks to help make you more focused.
2. Language
From Chinese, to Spanish, to French, there is a podcast for every language-learning-desire. You can read through every French manual that Chapters has, but without hearing the language being spoken, your ability to speak it will be sub-par at best. Turn on a podcast and give yourself a few months of steady listening and learning.
3. Spirituality
Many say that listening to certain music can be a spiritual experience. Playlists can be the same. On Spotify, there are Guided Meditation playlists, which feature voices soothing enough to relax even the most stressed minds. You can find playlists and podcasts lecturing on different spiritualities and religions, like Eastern Spirituality, which covers everything from Buddhism, to Hinduism, to Kundalini Yoga.
4. Literature
Maybe you are working on the next big app, novel, or poem — regardless of what stage you’re at, there is a playlist to help boost your productivity. Get inspired with The Writer’s Playlist, which features songs like “Tonight I feel like Kafka” by the Jealous Birds, “Wrapped up in Books” by Belle & Sebastian, and “Paperback Writer” by Paul McCartney. You could also find inspiration in poets like Sylvia Plath or Ezra Pound.
5. Fitness and motivation
The dreary, cold winter weather can make you feel even more demotivated to get your body moving. So, once you’re out of bed, try and get pumped for a run or a gym session with a heavy bassline or some rock beats. Although music itself has been shown to help with self-determination, you can also find actual motivational speeches and song mashups to help you activate that fire inside to kill it at the gym — or to just generally be the best version of yourself, whatever you feel like doing that day.
Music helps motivate us, elevate moods when we feel down, and remember things we would have otherwise forgotten. Since we spend so much of our time listening to it, why not use some of that time more intentionally? Throw on a podcast that will help you learn language you have been meaning to learn, or that playlist that will get you out of bed in the morning.
Music is everywhere — use it to your advantage by downloading Spotify for free and start the new year on the right foot!
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