On Another Note...
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
When our girls were little, we had a nightly ritual of throwing dance parties after dinner. The four of us would dance circles around the coffee table to everything from Barry White to Bon Jovi, laughing and moving our bodies.
Little did my kids know how badly I needed those simple and silly music breaks—to set aside the stresses of work and tune out the world, if just for a three-minute reprieve.
Looking back, those really were simpler days.
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These days are not so simple. We feel stretched thin, overworked, and underresourced. It's hard to get away from the chaos. But as we know well, our minds need breaks from that chaos—and even short breaks (like three minutes of dancing around a coffee table) can help curb stress, reduce anxiety, boost our moods, and build increased resilience for harder things ahead.
However, the benefit only works if we take it.
Earlier this week, I asked my colleagues at Mission Partners, “What song do you put on repeat when you need some calm, comfort, or renewed energy?”
The responses were fabulous and included everything from A to Z—literally, ABBA to The Zombies.
I collected the songs into a Spotify playlist and shared it back with the team, with a simple request: Take 10 minutes today with this playlist. Sit on the ground or get out in the fresh air and find a song that speaks to you. Tune out the chaos of the world if just for a few minutes and let music do what it does best...
Let the music ground you. Let it calm you. Let it meet you wherever you are.
Most importantly, let it be your good excuse for a break today.
Sometimes, the simple things can feel hard to come by. In those moments, remember that the simple benefits of a music break will always be there for you.
I hope you find as much good in these songs as I did.
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I know the feeling of wanting more from a colleague—and the feeling of personally underdelivering. Even when I’ve given something my all, sometimes the results are less than I hoped. Those moments can be defeating, and they can knock us off course. If they happen too often, they’re a certain recipe for job transition. So, I’ve come to navigate these requests differently in recent years.