My Productivity Playlist Archives - Page 2 of 3

How to achieve a Zen-Like Focus while you Work or Relax! {Productivity Playlist May 2016}

How to achieve a Zen-Like Focus while you Work or Relax! Productivity Playlist May 2016

It’s no secret, I love putting together my monthly Productivity Playlists. Music is one of the things in life that I’m pretty passionate about. I find that it can help me solve a number of problems from a lack of inspiration to a need for an energy boost, but today I want to talk about some soundtracks I personally use to help me focus while I’m working and then help me relax at the end of the day. Focus is certainly something that is hard for most of us to achieve. I know that productivity is an inconsistent stream that ebbs and flows, but sometimes we need to get ourselves in the zone and achieve a zen-like focus in order to get important things done. For me there are some tasks that always feel like work and in order to act, I turn to music.

I know previously on my blog, I have discussed an app I liked called Focus @ Will, but did you know that other than their paid subscription service app, they also have a YouTube channel where they share free mixes of their music, perfect for helping you with your concentration and focus. Most of their tracks are about an hour long, which is the perfect amount of time to get yourself into the zone and accomplish a solid amount of work, even on a difficult project. I really like a few of their soundtracks and will leave my favorite two below!

These soundtracks will help you focus at work!

Now, once work is over and its time for relax for the evening, I have also been turning to a few more soundtracks I’ve found on YouTube to help me achieve a zen calm in the evenings after dinner. If you are someone, like me, who has a hard time falling asleep because of overstimulation in the evening with our gadgets and media, I highly suggest turning on one of these playlists about an hour before you go to sleep and let yourself fall as sleep naturally to the music. I’ve been trying lately to get into the habit of performing a skin care regimen a night, and I like to turn this music on and listen while I wear a sheet mask or apply my evening moisturizers after a bath. I’ll even add to the ambience by turning on my Dotera diffuser with my favorite serenity oil laced with lavender to help me fall asleep naturally. Not only do I fall asleep on time, but I find that my nights are more restful when I listen to these tracks before bed while I perform my evening rituals.

These tracks will send you naturally to sleep in no time!

I hope you have enjoyed this special edition of my productivity playlist. I am hoping to share more than just Spotify playlists with you in the future to give this feature a bit of variety, so please let me know if you liked this post and what sorts of productivity playlist topics you would like me to cover in the future! Happy listening!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

Who Run the World? {April 2016 Productivity Playlist!}

Hey Strange & Charmed Friends!

As you may remember reading from my latest installment of Entrepreneurial, last month I learned a valuable lesson that progress comes from taking action! In my situation, last month, I waited around for a while hoping creativity and inspiration would strike me, but it never came. So, this month, I am taking things into my own hands and taking action to stay inspired in whatever ways I can. Of course, since I am an audiophile, one of the first things I did was create a fresh Productivity Playlist for April filled with some action-packed and inspiring music that I’ve been loving lately. If you want to check out my new playlist, you can click here to visit Spotify or you can click the audio player below to enjoy the music as you catch up on my blog posts!

Well, let me know what music you have been listening to, or feel free to tweet me a link to your latest Spotify playlist @MissTrenchcoat!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist Productivity

What’s On Your Playlist? {Productivity Playlist February 2016!}

Long time no Playlist!

I think it’s been a few months since my last full playlist post, so this is completely overdue, but I just wanted to share the tunes I’ve been listening to lately. This is a pretty random mix, but I like it and I hope you do too. Happy listening and I hope this playlist brings you some inspiration and productivity as we close out February!

Enjoy!

So what have you been listening to lately? Let me know on the comments!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

My Anthem for 2016

To stay productive and create a theme for the new year, some people choose a word. That word becomes their word of the year and they will keep that word plastered around them as much as possible and turn to that word for encouragement and guidance as the unexpected twists and turns of life conspire to push us off course. That works for some people, but it doesn’t necessarily work for me. Instead, I choose a song- an anthem if you will! Something that’s more than a word or even a mere collection of words because music speaks to my soul. I’m just that kind of person.

I don’t ever set out to “find” my song of the year, in all honesty, it just sort of finds me which is exactly what happened when I first heard Bird Set Free by Sia during a live performance on SNL last month. The song immediately stirred something inside of me and I knew, and actually said to myself while the performance was still going on, “this is my song for 2016.”

If you have never experienced this song, I’d recommend it. It definitely has a powerful message that I hope will help keep me strong even when things get tough this year- and I know this year is going to get tough. The best years always do!

If you are someone who also sets an anthem for yourself for the year or perhaps you want to now that I’ve introduced you to the idea, I’d love to hear (haha, so punny) what song you choose! Let me know in the comments or tweet me a link to a music video @MissTrenchcoat!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

My Productivity Playlist #11 {Baby, Let’s Cruise!}

Hello my Strange & Charmed Ones! I’m reporting in again today from Charmed HQ which looks like it was hit with a cardboard tornado! If you didn’t hear, I’m in the middle of a move right now and things are a little crazy over in my camp. One good thing about moving, however, is that I have plenty of time to listen to some great summer tunes while packing boxes. So I have another installment of my productivity playlist for you to enjoy. Last month I got a suggestion or two for songs to add to this month’s list, so of course I made sure to include those. If you love this series as much as I do and want to leave your mark, make sure to give me your suggestions for music to include in the comments section below!

Here are the tracks for July’s Productivity Playlist, which you can listen to for free via Spotify!

The Boys of Summer | Don Henley
Heat Wave | Martha Reeves & The Vandelas
Cruisin’ | Smokey Robinson
We Come Running | Youngblood Hawke
Unchained Melody | The Righteous Brothers
Summer Wind | Frank Sinatra
Got to Give it Up | Marvin Gaye
Low Rider | War
Volare | Dean Martin
Champagne Supernova | Oasis

See you next month and of course, don’t forget to leave me your suggestions for inclusion next month! In the meantime, feel free to share the link to this post or playlist with your friends and social media feeds!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

My Productivity Playlist #10 {#SUMMERINTHEGLAMPIRE}

Are you ready for summer? I definitely am! As you read this, I am most likely on a tropical beach in Aruba enjoying the sun, fruity cocktails and flamingos for my #GLAMPIREGETAWAY. You don’t have to be jealous because if you are in need of a tropical vacation, no matter where you are, you can always tag along with me via Instagram and that custom hashtag that we are using for our photos. I hope you all have fun following along with my travels and I’ll be sure to be liking and commenting on your photos for the #SUMMERINTHEGLAMPIRE photo challenge that is going on this month. If you missed the start of the challenge, don’t fret, just refer back to this post and get started so we can share some inspirational summertime pics with each other!

Now, on to the playlist! This month I’ve chosen a selection of songs that for one reason or another remind me of summer or a beach vacation. Now, I know there are plenty more summer themed songs out there, and trust me, those will also be featured in future productivity playlist posts for the rest of the summer. For now, I wanted to create a playlist for my vacation. I don’t know what it is about the idea of vacationing in Aruba, but it makes me think of the Rat Pack and swanky 60s getaways! Bring on the oversized sunglasses, floppy hats and silk scarves because I am ready for my #GLAMPIREGETAWAY!

Here’s a rundown of the playlist, but of course, you can listen right now for free via Spotify:

Hot Child in the City | Nick Gilder
Summertime | Billie Holiday
The Girl from Ipanema | Amy Winehouse
Happy | Pharrell Williams
From the Morning | Nick Drake
Summertime Sadness | Lana Del Rey
Ring of Fire | Johnny Cash
Nature Boy | Nat King Cole
Come Fly with Me | Frank Sinatra
Kokomo | The Beach Boys

So, what quintessential summer tunes did I miss on this playlist that you would like to see on the next? Leave me a comment down below!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

My Productivity Playlist #9 {Step into Spring}

Good news everyone! It finally feels like Spring in the Northeast of the U.S., YAY! I am very excited for the warmer weather which means I can dress in my favorite, light layers and flats, and take Starbuck for (almost) daily walks to help me break up the work day. This month, the tunes I’m loving all harken back to spring or at least some sort of life transition. I’m feeling very empowered for the season and just want to jump in and enjoy every moment of it. I feel like with this new season, I can literally achieve anything I set my mind to, and my mind is filled with curiosity that I am just waiting to explore!

Don’t forget to check out the full Playlist for Free on Spotify:

Hey Brother by Avicii
Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
April in Paris by Count Basie & His Orchestra
The Puppy Song by Harry Nilsson
We Come Running by Youngblood Hawke
Up Around the Bend by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane
Defying Gravity by the Cast of Glee
Don’t Rain on My Parade by Barbra Streisand

I have to admit, I love doing this post each month because it’s a relatively simple post for me, but I also LOVE how so many of you have reached out to tell me that you are also enjoying these playlists and giving me awesome suggestions for new music for me to check out as well, so thank you all for interacting with me around this very simple, but powerful medium of music! So, please keep those comments and suggestions rolling in and I hope you enjoy this month’s selection!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

My Productivity Playlist #8 {This is your year!}

I truly feel like March has been a big game changer for me in a lot of ways, and I am beginning to feel infinitely spoiled by the universe. I know that all the good news and positivity can’t last forever, but I have decided that I am going to make the most of all these gifts while I can. As you may already know, March is my birth month as well, so I feel like the last few weeks have been one big celebration, marked with a lot of hard work, dedication and focus. So this month, my playlist is a collection of some of my favorite songs, some old inspirational tunes I can’t live without, as well as a few new hits that I have been playing on repeat. I wish I could say their was a clear theme for the playlist this month, and I think for me there is, but I’m not sure how someone outside of my head would categorize these. For me, these songs are all poetically inspirational, sending me subliminal messages to keep focused on the mission ahead of me. I hope you find something within this collection that speaks to you in the same way.

Make sure to check out the playlist on Spotify:

FourFiveSeconds by Rhianna, Kayne West and Paul McCartney
Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo
Black Coffee by Peggy Lee
Have you ever seen the rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin
Killer Queen by Queen
The Downeaster “Alexa” by Billy Joel
Pink Moon by Nick Drake
Tennis Court by Lorde
Born to Die by Lana Del Rey

Make sure to head on over to Spotify to listen to the full playlist for free! Then you can let me know what you thought of this months collection and of course, tell me what you have been listening to and loving this month! Click here to check out previous installments of My Productivity Playlist as well, and I would love to see pictures of you enjoying this playlist at home or at work, so snap a pic, post it to IG and make sure to tag me @MissTrenchcoat and #ProductivityPlaylist so I can see them, like and comment!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

My Productivity Playlist #6 {Love You like a Love Song}

This month has really been like the greatest February of all time! Well, maybe not of all time, but it’s shaping up to be a really cool month! Not only is it the perfect calendar month with four straight weeks from Sunday to Saturday, but Valentine’s Day is also on a Saturday this year, which is very convenient! Speaking of Valentine’s Day, I decided to theme this months Productivity Playlist with some great love songs! If you’re a fan of romantic tunes or just need a playlist on hand for your Valentine’s evening, definitely check this out! As always, you can listen to my full playlist for free via Spotify!

Here’s what you’ll be enjoying in this months playlist:

A Thousand Years by Christina Perry
Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine
Somewhere Only We Know by Keane
The Scientist by Coldplay
Unforgettable by Nat King Cole (duet with Natalie Cole)
At Last by Etta James
Dream a Little Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald
Someone to Watch Over me by Ella Fitzgerald
These Foolish Things by Nat King Cole
Come Away with Me by Norah Jones

These are probably some of my all time favorite love songs! I know I could have chosen dozens upon dozens of great classics, but these have been on my mind lately! I hope you like the selection and that you use it this Valentine’s Day, either as some nice music to relax to or something to add a little ambience to your evening! Let me know in the comments your favorite love songs and if you also share a particular love for the ones on my list!

xoxo,

My Productivity Playlist

My Productivity Playlist #5

We are well into January of 2015 and I don’t know about you, but I am very excited for what lies ahead this year. I think it is incredibly important to get a strong start to the year, in order to lay the ground work and plans that will begin to really blossom as the year progresses. It’s not always easy for me to get motivated to take on a lot, especially during the winter months when I tend to be tired because of short days and less sunlight, and of course, it’s so cold all you want to do is cuddle with dozens of blankets, but I have to keep myself motivated and often times, music is the best way to pump up my mind and my spirit! So, I put together a playlist of inspiration and aspirational music to kick of this series for the new year!

As usual you can check out and listen to my playlist for the month via Spotify for free, but here are the list of tracks you will find!

Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall
Titanium by David Guetta
All About that Bass by Meghan Trainor
Pompeii by Jasmine Thompson
My Way by Frank Sinatra
Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
Off to the Races by Lana Del Rey
Feeling Good by Nina Simone
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
Rhiannon by Stevie Nicks
Let it Go by Idina Menzel

Of course, I hope you check out the playlist and let me know what you think! I’d love to see a pic of you enjoying this playlist at work or at home, so make sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @MissTrenchcoat! Also, feel free to let me know in the comments which songs you have been listening to to keep you motivated and inspired for productivity this month!