For me, one of the hardest things in life is making wise choices. By objectively listening to my thoughts and feelings and considering where they might have come from I get better at this. 

After working in a commercial sound facility I learned that, essentially, everything we view and listen to on screens is designed to make us feel or think something. 

The seduction of listening to screens is that I can unplug from this arduous process of decision-making and just let my mind embody what is happening on the screen. 

Of course, this can be a nice way to relax or even get inspired. But the problem is that once I’ve reentered my life in the present I miss those hyper-processed cues that have been guiding my brain toward what to look at, what to feel, and what to think. It can make it difficult to know what to focus on. And that can result in stress.  

Sometimes we model the stimulation we get from screens by listening to music on headphones or maybe going for a nice dinner with friends at a hopping restaurant with lots of people talking and music playing in the background. 

Sometimes, at live music shows there will be a screen behind the band with lots of flashing lights that help heighten the drama and focus our attention. 

I enjoy all of these activities but lately, I’ve been experimenting with simplifying the way I experience the world outside of screens. 

For instance, instead of listening to music on headphones, I occasionally choose to notice natural sounds going on like birds or cars passing by. 

I find conversations to be much richer when I socialize in a quiet place with just one person over a beverage.

I’ve also been leaning toward live music that presents the artists on stage in a natural environment. 

I’ve been looking a little closer at my eating routines too. I’m discovering that listening to music or being around other people can have an effect on how I taste my food or whether I taste it at all. It can also affect how much food it takes for me to feel full.

Sometimes, I just listen to an album, seated or lying down, with my eyes closed or just looking at the stereo or the ceiling.

Maybe give some of these things a try and see how they affect your moods in other parts of your life. You could even start by just sitting back and listening to this playlist.

– Below are some songs that have resonated with me in the past month. I hope they bring more joy to your life. Thanks for listening, MMM

This month’s artists are: David Lynch, The Clean, Don Covay, Julia Jacklin, Nat King Cole, Squid, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Jockstrap, Michael Rault, Alejandro Bravo, Cheekface, Jeff Parker, Bush Tetras, Furry Lewis, Eels, The A’s

(Subscribe to get a new playlist every 1st Monday of the month. Click on my user link or search: Major Matt’s 1st Monday on Spotify to cruise past playlists and discover more music.)