Browsed by
Tag: music

Live It Up

Live It Up

I don’t know what it is about good live performances, but one good show can seem to melt all your cares away, and keep you in a good mood for days afterward. However live shows can get quite pricey! Many times the cost of a great show you want to see can make you feel uncomfortable. On one hand, you want to be wise with what you spend your hard earned money on. On the other hand, you want to see that awesome show! What to do? Well, as with many things – there’s a happy middle ground.

If you are looking to catch a live show, but don’t have much money to spend, the local bar is a great place to look. Many small, independent bands will go on bar tours to form a fan base. The band gains exposure to new fans, and you get to see a show for a budget friendly price. Bars will often only charge a small cover fee to get into their shows. Many times you may even find one with no charge at all. These are the perfect scenes to sit around and have a drink with a friend while enjoying some new and interesting music.

If you are not quite old enough for bars yet, fear not as there are still ways to enjoy cheap music. Small community theaters will often book independent bands, and sell tickets to the show for cheap. If music is not your thing, these theaters also often host poetry readings, plays, and magic shows, so you’re bound to find something that fits your taste and budget.

Another great place to catch live entertainment is are fairs. The great thing about this option is you can sometimes see many different things for just the entry price. These fairs are often held in large fields, and last all day with different events that everyone can enjoy.

However some of you might not like new music, you would much rather see a classic rock band. The problem with this can be that many of them stopped performing awhile ago. If you pay attention though, many cover bands have come around that play these older songs. This can be a hit or miss, but sometimes you don’t know until you try. Some of these cover bands can actually be quite good and come at a pretty affordable price.

Walk It Off

Walk It Off

walk-it-offYou always hear about the physical health benefits of walking, however there can also be many emotional and mental health benefits to walking.  Everybody has had those days where everything seems to be going wrong, and you feel like you just need to get away from everything for awhile. Taking a short walk can sometimes be the perfect way to get away from everything for a little bit and clear your head.

Sometimes even going for a walk as short as 10 minutes can help. I’m not sure if it’s the sunshine, or the outdoors, or just taking a break from everything, but walking always makes me feel a little better no matter how stressed I am.

Walking with a friend can sometimes make you feel even better than if you are just by yourself. They can be there to lend an ear, and help you out. Although maybe all you really need is someone to make you laugh, and realize that things will improve.

If you are looking for more intense activity, a nice run or bike ride can also do the trick. Not only can this help your mental health, but if done regularly, it can also help improve your physical health. This in turn can possibly also make you happier, because you feel better about your body.

However what happens in the winter? You certainly can’t go for a walk or bike ride when its below zero out. In these cases getting in your car and going for a drive can work just as well. Playing some calming music while doing this can also help your mind escape from the days stresses. Be aware though, that with gas prices this can get expensive, and driving in several inches of snow if you don’t have to, would not be something I would recommend either.

Whether it be by walking, biking, or driving, sometimes we just need to get away from life for awhile and clear our heads. Taking some time out once in awhile to do some light physical activity or even just go for a drive can help calm you down and gather your thoughts. This might even cause you to be able to think clearer and make more productive use of your time.  This can lead to more happiness because you will be able to do more of what you really want.

Mellow Out

Mellow Out

mellow-outWe all have those days where we swear if we get yelled at again, or the printer jams up one more time we feel like are going to snap. Well there’s less violent ways of dealing with those situations, other than punching your boss in the face or taking a hammer to the printer. I find one of the best things to do when you are stressed is to listen to some mellow music. The right album or song can just seem to melt away your stresses. Sometimes it can almost seem to take you to another reality where everything is calm and good.

Different people listen to different things to calm down depending on their individual tastes. Try out different albums from your music collection and find out what works for you. Also you can try talking to other people, and find out what music calms them down. Switching up your calm down music every once in awhile is good. If you listen to the same cd all the time, eventually you might get sick of it, and it might stop calming you down. Another thing you could do is if you find that a certain cd really seems to work for you, go online or to your local library and see if that band has any other cds.

Getting a good pair of noise canceling headphones is also good idea to help reduce stress while listening to music. It can block out external distractions and stressors, making it easier to calm down and relax.

Listening to the right music can sometimes calm you down no matter how mad you are, and make it much easier to deal with those things that were stressing you out. You might even come to realize that the stupid thing which made you so angry, wasn’t even worth getting mad about in the first place.