Memorial Day weekend always gets me in a happy mindset. Having a little extra time off and spending the holiday weekend relaxing with minimal plans reminds me of the importance of escaping and “turning off” our usual routine and how quickly even the smallest escapes can improve our sense of well-being.
The commencement of summer of course makes me excited about all the ways I’m planning to get away for some R&R over the next three months. I’ve got some great travel on the books, as well as some Hudson Valley retreats I’m organizing in upstate New York. But given that work productivity still must happen even in the summer months, I started thinking about ways to incorporate self-care into my daily regimen that can offer a quick escape that doesn’t require boarding a plane.
I personally find that few things have as tremendous power as music when it comes to finding a near instant, therapeutic escape.
Listening to music has many benefits, one of them being that it’s an excellent form of emotional self-care due to music’s unique ability to defy the mundane and to take us “out of ourselves” and put us somewhere else.
So, in embracing this month’s ESCAPE theme, let’s celebrate music as a powerful way to bust through work stress, hectic schedules and commutes by either adding a little harmony into our daily regimen – or offering a quick escape from it.  To give you a head start, I’ve curated a playlist full of light-hearted, uplifting melodies and messages of escapism to help put you in the right mindset to carry you through the entire month of June. Follow the playlist below and tune into our entire music station filled with playlists curated by theme and activity!
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Jamie Pabst is the CS Music Editor and NYC-based DJ and music tech entrepreneur.
