It’s quite easy to wake up on an average morning and feel nothing but exhaustion filling your body. In fact, I find it much easier to fall back asleep than to wake my body up enough to perform as a functional human being. Having spent the last few weeks commuting 45 minutes by train to New York City, I realized that the best way for me to wake up is by blasting my favorite songs through both headphones. Instead of listening to the honking horns and yelling people, I have been perfectly content in my own world of music that motivates me.

It doesn’t matter what genre of music you listen to. What matters is that you enjoy what you listen to. Some mornings, you may feel that some music is too fast and other times, some music will feel too slow. The slow, quieter melodies might be great for a really dull morning, but the faster, louder dance-type music is the stuff that will make you motivated.

According to this article, listening to music lessens levels of chronic stress by lowering the stress hormone cortisol. It can also make you feel more hopeful, powerful, and in control of your life. In the workplace, music has the ability to make a happier, more productive employee. Office workers allowed to listen to the kind of music they like complete tasks more quickly and come up with better ideas than those who have no control over their musical choices

It’s easy to assume that the morning commute to work will be dreary and miserable. But isn’t it amazing that listening to the right music can make your ordinary routine, well, enjoyable? When your dreaded alarm goes off tomorrow morning, do your best to wake up with a positive attitude, pop in your most comfortably fitting headphones and blast the music that will make you excited to take on your day.