Lately, I've been in somewhat of a lower mood than I normally am, and I'm finding my brain is constantly trying to find problems with what I've got and worked toward!
I forgot to consider what kind of content I am putting in my head that's affecting my emotions. I've heard this primarily from Brendon Burchard when he speaks about being aware of what you listen to and read and that it can even affect you several days after the event.
I did a quick evaluation of the past few days and I've discovered that I have done something different, and that was listening to some new pop music which had a really nice beat and rhythm, but lyrics weren't very good. I've noticed that my subconscious reads things I don't even consciously pick up, so I normally tune out the words and enjoy the music. However, my background brain hears those lyrics and carefully reads them to file into emotions I should be feeling. So an upbeat song with a dark story lasts long past the end of the song. I get the benefits of getting jazzed up by the music, but the dark story gets turned around in my subconscious and then tells me how I should feel.
I'm still trying to find the right playlist of songs with that upbeat rhythm to them, without dark or depressing stories behind it. I've enjoyed listening to some of Disney music as it's typically got a hopeful background to it! I also enjoy music in other languages, as I get the pop beat's benefits, without understanding the bad lyrics. Another big thing I enjoy listening to is music sung by young people. My favorite group is called 'One Voice Children's Choir.' It's an amazing group with an amazingly hopeful and energetic take on some of my favorite songs; it's an absolute pleasure to listen to them!
Key takeaways:
1) What you listen to will influence your emotions, even days later
2) Even when you mentally tune out bad or dark content, your subconscious picks it up
3) Try to find a playlist of hopeful and energetic songs, even pop in other languages!