Are you tired of spending too much time searching for the perfect Spotify playlist for your current mood? I have found a solution that has saved me time and frustration.

The struggle

As someone who enjoys music, I have over 100 Spotify playlists in my favorites list. However, when it comes to choosing the right playlist for my current level of alertness, I often found myself struggling to find the perfect one. Sometimes the music was too soft, other times it was too loud. I needed a way to instantly search and find a playlist that would match my current level of alertness, so it would help me in my activity rather than irritate me.

The solution

My solution was to create a database in Notion of all my playlists and classify them based on their level of alertness: low, attentive, reactive, or active. Whenever I wanted to listen to music, I would ask myself a quick question about my current level of alertness, and then I would open my database, filter by the chosen alertness type, and pick a random playlist.

But why stop there? I wanted to make this process even more efficient. So, I created an iOS shortcut that would ask me to choose one of the four given alertness types. The shortcut would then connect in the background to my Notion database, get one random playlist from the chosen alertness type, and open Spotify to play it.

Now, with just a few clicks, I can listen to the perfect Spotify playlist that matches my current level of alertness. No more wasting time searching for the right music, and no more frustration with mismatched playlists. This solution has made listening to music a more enjoyable and efficient experience.

I'm aware my solution is very specific. But it's a nice example of optimizing your life. And I hope it will inspire you.

Levels of alertness by Dr. Stuart Shanker

Dr. Stuart Shanker's book "Self-Reg" discusses the importance of recognizing and responding to different levels of alertness in order to effectively self-regulate and manage stress. Shanker emphasizes the significance of understanding our own levels of alertness and recognizing when we are becoming dysregulated. By doing so, we can take steps to restore balance and promote well-being.

In Shanker's model, there are five levels of arousal or alertness, which include low arousal, attentive arousal, reactive arousal, active arousal, and hyper-arousal. By classifying my playlists according to the first 4 levels, I am more aware of my current level of alertness and can quickly find the perfect playlist that matches my mood.

Summary

This process has been a game-changer in my daily routine, and I hope it inspires you to create your own system that matches your needs and preferences. Happy listening! 🎧

If you really feel like buying me a coffee

... then feel free to do it. Many thanks! 🙌