Stuck inside in the same old rut? Sometimes it can be the simplest of things that can pull us away from those cravings…
Here in New Hampshire, it has been cold, very cold. Even the most seasoned in recovery can find themselves feeling pretty negative after the pipes have frozen twice, the furnace quit, the kids can’t go outside for more than 10 minutes, and it takes 45 minutes for the car to heat up. So, as I was clenching the steering wheel with two frozen fists a few days ago, I realized that I had come to that cynical, unhappy mindset that is no place for someone in recovery. Flipping on the radio, I found my answer.
Time and time again, when my mind has been fixed on some negative thought or stuck in the blues, it was music that pulled me out of it. Not the music I hear every day, but always one of those songs from long ago – something outrageous that I’d never admit to my friends that I like (like C&C Music Factory – yeah, clean the house to that and just try to feel bad afterward!).
So here’s my suggestion for the day if you’re feeling stuck in the dumps: Take a few minutes to surf your favorite music engine – most will only charge 99 cents per song, and find some of those old feel-good favorites. The ones that remind you of driving on a sunny day when you first got your driver’s license, or of the one junior high dance that didn’t embarrass you. You’ll be amazed at how fast you find some great stuff – that will pull you right out of that funk.
For less than what you would pay for a case of beer or a bag or your drug of choice, you can download a custom-made set of songs for your CD player or iPod that you can use any time you need to snap out of that space.
What are some of my other secret feel-good songs? Aha’s “Take on Me”, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (hope my friends aren’t reading this!), and the David Bowie songs from the Labyrinth soundtrack.
