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Wolverines for Wellness
Senses for Emotional Wellness
3 min readNov 13, 2020

Almost all of us listen to music on a daily basis, and it’s all for different reasons. Some jam out to gain motivation while others sob after a tough breakup. There have been many studies conducted that listening to music has many health benefits in itself.

Did you know, however, that there are songs that are scientifically proven to most effectively reduce anxiety, uplift, and sing along? Here we give the individual tunes before moving into the playlists.

To Reduce Anxiety:

  1. “Weightless” by Marconi Union
  2. “Electra” by Airstream
  3. “Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix)” by DJ Shah
  4. “Watermark” by Enya
  5. “Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay

To Uplift:

  1. “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
  2. “Dancing Queen” by Abba
  3. “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys
  4. “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel
  5. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor

Most Singalong Songs:

  1. “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi
  2. “YMCA” by the Village People
  3. “Fat Lip” by Sum 41
  4. “The Final Countdown” by Europe
  5. “Monster” by The Automatic

But wait; there’s more! Here are three playlists that will surely boost your mood.

It has been found that the most popular genre to increase happiness is rock. It makes sense! Just take a look at the number of rock artists in the lists above. We continue the trend with a bangin’ playlist of rock hits:

“Top Rock” Spotify playlist

The Rolling Stones are one of the many artists on the “Top Rock” playlist.

If you prefer a more calm genre to lift your spirits, try the playlist below. “FIFA Music” is the genre popularized by the soccer video game and includes a selection of mood-boosting alternative, indie, and pop.

“Top FIFA” Spotify playlist

Many Two Door Cinema Club hits can be found on the “Top Fifa” playlist.

Music isn’t the only thing that can improve one’s mood. I’ve recently been introduced to the world of self-help podcasts and want to introduce you to some of my favorites. Don’t fret; episodes are short and there’s no need to listen in chronological order to the following.

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Dr Santos teaches the most popular course in the history of Yale, called “The Science of Well-Being.” Because of the success with her class, she decided to create this podcast and cites scientifically-proven means to improve one’s happiness. I highly recommend this as well as her course on Coursera for free!

The Hilarious World of Depression by American Public Media

No, this podcast is not making fun of those who suffer from depression. Frankly, it does quite the opposite. Top comedians tell their stories of how they have dealt with the disease. It goes to show that people who get paid to be funny are sometimes in the dumps as well. Listeners the opportunity to realize that people with depression are not alone.

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

This podcast gives manageable advice and tips about how to live a happier life on a daily basis. Any single recommendation will not change your life, but it is the aggregate and consistency of several of these tips that will in fact change it for the better.

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