Last week I heard a great story/article on NPR’s Science Friday about how music can relieve stress and is being used as therapy for dementia and Alzheimer’s. It made me think of so many things, but most of all it made me reflect on the fact that most of the time I’m just hanging out at home I’m sitting in silence.
(listen from the button in the upper left of this page or download mp3)
Most of the time I enjoy the silence that isn’t really silent. My brain is constantly going 90 miles an hour about 90 different things (shiny object syndrome). I live on a busy street so the sounds of traffic, sirens, buses, birds, garbage trucks, people walking by, and dogs barking constantly surround me. That’s usually enough for my brain to handle.
After listening to this article (story just doesn’t seem appropriate) in the car, I came in and continued it on my ipod (plugged into speakers not headphones). When I started baking, I decided to turn on one of my Pandora stations. When I listen to music, it is music that makes me want to tap my foot not burst into tears. I hate sad, sappy, sorrowful music. hate. too strong? no. I really, really dislike sappy love songs and he broke my heart crap.
I don’t discriminate against genre, usually. disco, pop, punk, rock-a-billy, bluegrass, oldies, whatever. as long as it isn’t sad sap. I’m quick with the thumbs down or skip too. I give it 3-5 seconds and if you haven’t reeled me in- your outta there!
While I do not dance in public (ok, there’s one song that’ll get me outta my chair), I’m happy to bounce and wiggle myself around the houses in private. So, if I assume that over the course of 3 hours of baking I wiggled and sashayed for at least 30 minutes of that time, then I burned 150 calories!
So while we are eating extra fudge and drinking a few extra cocktails, make a little extra effort to counter that.
Take the stairs
Park as far away from the store entrance
Go for a walk on your lunch break instead of sitting at the gossip table
Instead of standing still while stirring that pot, DANCE!
I found a few interesting links for music and getting off your duff that I’ll share:
Kristin is offering 12 days of ideas for keeping moving and staying sane during the holidays
Kaiser Permanente getting their dance on (they have a cute dancing commercial but I can’t find it AND this is in no way an endorsement for KP)
Pandora has workout stations
What are you doing to help beat the holiday muffin top?
Lula Harp 
What a great post. I have a very powerful speaker system my ipod hooks up to both at home and in my commercial kitchen and we listen to music all of the time. It keeps me sane!
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Thanks. And good luck staying sane. We’ve almost made it to the finish line!
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I’m always up for shaking a tail feather Lula! Anywhere, anytime. Pandora is my absolute favorite way to listen to music these days. Pandora rocks! So, are you going to divulge what song will get you out of your chair to dance in public? You opened the door!! Margie
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That’s one of those things you have to learn by happy accident! Or if you’ve plied me with cocktails 😉
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Any additional movement counts. I need to turn on the tunes at home more often too. But since music is part of my job, sometimes I just like silence. And when I craft I like to listen to podcasts or books on CD. But I do it while standing and crafting so it’s more than just sitting on my bootie.
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I’ve come up with some great Pandora stations purely to make me move more. I’m the same way, when I’m crafting I don’t sit.
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