According to Science, How to Use Music to Improve Your Drive
Music can be a powerful mood elevator by releasing dopamine , improving our outlook, relieving stress , helping us focus, and motivating us at the gym . It can also be used to enhance your driving experience, whether it’s a cross-country drive or a grueling commute to work. But putting together a playlist for driving goes beyond the perfect mix of favorite songs, although it is certainly recommended. Let science explain how to do this.
Sad music can really make you feel better.
If you want to get past a harsh drive, your first step may be to listen to fun music, but the opposite will work for you too: sad music can make your morning commute to work more enjoyable and set you up for an energetic and productive day. Listening to melancholic songs can improve your mood while driving, and the effects last up to two hours after you reach your destination, according to research by Ford, Spotify and New York University . Amy Belfi, a cognitive neuroscientist at New York University, explains:
Sad songs can really make us feel good. They can remind us, for example, of difficult experiences we have gone through and have learned.
Drive better by listening to the “heartbeat” song
On a good day, I like to roll my windows down and yell out music while cruising down the highway, but loud music and high tempos can negatively impact my safety. Auto insurance company Direct Connect London has reported a study by university psychologist Dr. Simon Moore that found that loud, booming music could trigger more dangerous driving. Instead, try listening to music that mimics the rhythm and tempo of your heartbeat. This will keep dopamine flowing and help you maintain a calm resting heart rate so you can focus on safely dividing the road. Dr. Moore recommends replacing MIA’s Paper Airplanes with All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA (although Paper Airplanes are very popular in the summer).
Dr. Moore also provides a list of songs to add to your safe driving playlist:
- “Go With Me” by Norah Jones
- Billionaire Travie McCoy (featuring Bruno Mars)
- “I am yours” by Jason Mraz
- “Scientist” Coldplay
- Elton John’s Little Dancer
- Cry Me Like a River by Justin Timberlake
- Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss Anything”
- Karma Police by Radiohead
- “Never Came A Dream” by S Club 7
- “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver
- Drake’s “Plan of God”
- “Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD”
- “SADI” by XXXTENTACION
- “IDGAF” Dua Lipa
- “Taste” Tyga (Feat. Offset)
- All Stars (with SZA) by Kendrick Lamar
- The Eastside (with Halsey and Khalid) by Benny Blanco
- 2002 by Anne-Marie Eminem’s River (featuring Ed Sheeran)
- “Feel It Still” Portugal. That man
Enjoy your (ier) driving!