Matching Music to Mood (or Purpose!)

I hope your being here means you’re continuing the exploration and that you’ve nailed your fun playlist! If you haven’t, or you’re just curious to see where this goes, well that’s cool too. Let’s keep going.

In my last article, I touched on how music helped me focus like a demon. Let’s expand on that.

At first, I tried using my fun playlist while I worked at the computer. Anything to get through the day, right? Wrong! It flopped harder than a dropped pancake on Shrove Tuesday.

All I wanted to do was get up and dance. Great for fun, not so great for productivity.

But silence was boring me to tears, so I kept experimenting. I thought workplace jazz might work. Maybe it will for you. But for me? Too intense. Every new track pulled my attention away from what I was doing.

That’s when I realised I needed something familiar, music that wouldn’t steal my focus because I already knew every note.

I landed on Morrissey. Same album, same track order, over and over. It was perfect. Nothing surprising, nothing distracting. It filled the quiet without demanding anything from me.

Later, I also discovered Smooth Classics on Classic FM. Gentle, predictable, no lyrics to analyse, just music that let me think without being dull.

That’s the thing about matching music to mood or purpose: it’s not one-size-fits-all. It takes a bit of trial and error.

My invitation to you? Notice what you’re trying to do when you put music on. Are you working? Resting? Creating? Tidying? Then play around. Test what helps you focus, what helps you relax, what gives you energy.

Music is a tool. Let’s use it on purpose.