If you’re like most of us, Sochi has provided a distraction of Olympic proportions, and maybe even motivated you to go for your own version of gold. The Olympic athletes use music to motivate them—and for good reason. Upbeat music has been shown to elevate mood. A recent study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology showed that when people listened to fast-paced music, they reported feeling happier. Another study that appeared in Nature Neuroscience showed that upbeat music caused dopamine—the feel-good chemical—to be released in the brain. Researchers looked at the effects using instrumental music, so there were no verbal messages associated.
What does this mean for you? Well, if you want to feel capable of Olympic feats (and happy), listen to faster-tempo tunes. And if you’re a restaurant or bar owner, play upbeat music, so your customers will enjoy themselves and associate your business with feeling good.
Any faster-paced, catchy music will do. Here are four Rockbot staffer favorites.
Birth: El Ten Eleven
Waiting Room: Fugazi
Nightcall: Kavinsky
All My Friends: LCD Soundsystem
What are you favorite mood-boosting songs? Share here, and to select or play them at your bar or restaurant, visit rockbot.com or download the app.