music

Music For When You Feel Depressed

When you’re feeling low, listening to music that describes exactly how you feel can help you get more deeply in touch with, and hence process, your raw emotions. So long as you avoid creating a story about why you feel bad that just reinforces the feeling, listening to music you can relate to can help you to move on from unpleasant feelings.

Here’s a list of my favorite music for when I’m feeling sad, depressed or discouraged:

Soul Asylum: Misery

Misery loves company. Great for relating to frustration.

Linkin Park: Somewhere I Belong

If you’re feeling lost and just don’t seem to fit in, you’ll relate to this one.

Evanescence: Going Under

For when you’re feeling overwhelmed, like you’re drowning.

Lily Allen: The Fear

Feeling anxious? You might as well acknowledge it… other people will be able to relate too.

Eminem: Lose Yourself

We all struggle with self-doubt from time to time. Just remember: success is my only motherfucking option, failure’s not.

Gwen Steffani: What You Waiting For?

You’ve felt bad for long enough now; take some action to change it. What are you waiting for?

Add Yours

How about you? Do you have a favorite song for for when you’re feeling low?… Continue reading…

By Graham Stoney, ago

Music To Make You Happy When You Feel Sad

When you’re feeling sad, listening to positive, encouraging music can help you break out of it.

Here’s my favorite music for turning sadness into happiness and optimism:

Chumbawumba: Tubthumping

I get knocked down. But I get up again. No, you’re never gonna keep me down. Words to live by.

Paul Colman Trio: Turn

Gotta turn this life around, turn this life around. Catchy jingle about beating hard times, if you can ignore the kitsch religious undertones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DbWe_6N5kM

Steve Winwood: While You See A Chance

While you see a chance, take it! Great advice Steve.

En Vogue: Free Your Mind

Confidence is a lot about how you think. Free your mind!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-Ri0Tk8WQI

David Guetta featuring Kelly Roland: When Love Takes Over

Want to feel more love in your life? Get it here.

Dutch featuring Crystal Waters: My Time

This is my time, this is my time.

Jimmy Cliff: I Can See Clearly Now

A classic song for emerging from difficult times.

KT Tunstall: Suddenly I See

For that “Aha!” moment, when you realise you’ve now got the confidence you always wanted.

Vanessa Amorosi: Shine

Everyone’s gonna shine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkza-tP1THw

Steve Winwood: Back In The High Life

That’s where you’re going to be: Back in the high life again.… Continue reading…

By Graham Stoney, ago

Primal Therapy

You spent over a decade being socialized by the school system: told to sit down, shut up, keep your feelings to yourself and be a good boy. Sure, you’re a social being and a member of the tribe… but really deep down you’re an animal. Primal therapy gets you back in touch with your animal instincts and your primal roots through a combination of anger expression exercises, chanting, dancing, and other primitive tribal rituals.

Advantages:

  • Hugely cathartic

  • Learn to express and release anger

  • The next best thing to an exorcism

  • You get in touch with your power as a man

Disadvantages:

  • How well would a raging beast of a man really function in today’s society?

  • Some research suggests that expressing anger just makes you more angry

  • Disturbing the neighbors

… Continue reading…
By Graham Stoney, ago

How to Meet Women

If you’re lacking in confidence, meeting women can seems like a major challenge. You can’t date women you can’t meet, and this affects everything from your social life to your sex life. Approaching women in bars and clubs can be a hit and miss affair, and office romances can be problematic. But finding female company is easy once you know the secret to meeting women:

Get involved in activities that women also enjoy, over a period of time that gives them the chance to get to know you.

You want to meet real ones, right?
Image courtesy Pixabay

The best activities involve learning any new skill that women value which boosts your confidence, while meeting women in the process. This slips you in under the radar and makes you much more approachable than when you’re obviously just “out to meet chicks”. Here are the best ways to go about this:

Take Dance Lessons

This is by far the most effective way of meeting women. All women love men who can dance, but many men are afraid of looking foolish and won’t put up with the initial discomfort while they learn. Women respect men who are prepared to be vulnerable, and you become a hot commodity once you’ve mastered it.… Continue reading…

By Graham Stoney, ago

Confidence, Cats In The Cradle and My Relationship with My Father

Harry Chapin’s famous song Cats In The Cradle hits me emotionally every time I hear it. Whether it’s his original, Cat Steven’s even more well-known version, or more recent covers like the one by Ugly Kid Joe, it never fails to strike an emotional chord with me. I’ve spent the last 3 weeks learning to play it on my guitar, and when I play it myself it’s even stronger.

Knowing what I know now, I’d say that my father lacks confidence and that’s why he is so reluctant to share his feelings, and hard for other people to connect to. He was my natural role model and for a long time I emulated this too. As a result, I lacked confidence and we both had very little emotional connection.

The song connects me with the pain I still feel in my relationship with my emotionally distant father. Ironically, my father and I have a lot of time for each other and get together on a regular basis; we have even more time together now that he’s retired and I’m working for myself. But there’s a distance between us that I find painful.

My Dad was always there for me physically as I kid, and I don’t ever recall brushing him off because I just wanted to borrow the car keys once he’d taught me how to drive.… Continue reading…

By Graham Stoney, ago