4 Motivational Songs For When You Need a Pick-Me-Up

By Jody Bell

Let’s be honest – not everyday is sunshine and roses. Sometimes, that pep-in-your-step seems to be depleted, and you shuffle through your everyday routine feeling gloomy. There’s no way to sugar coat it – bad days really are the worst. 

That being said, part of growing up is learning how to best cope with these bad days. Personally, from the moment I got my iPod I was glued to music, and it helped me get through some really rough patches in school.

I put together some of my favorite songs that helped me stay positive during those gloomy days — and fair warning, half these songs are by Sara Bareilles. Well, I’m not going to lie – I grew up listening to her music so I may be a bit biased. I’m pretty sure I started at least one morning a week since I was 14 years old listening to “Love Song”’ Outside of my obvious favoritism and fan-girl moment, I also wanted to include some Sara Bareilles songs for one very special reason. Girls With Impact is going to be hosting their 2nd Annual International Benefit Concert and she is preforming.

The lineup is pretty jaw dropping – with two Grammy Award winners and Broadway stars, this is going to be the concert of the year. Plus, the concert benefits Girls With Impact’s mission of training 1 million under-resourced young women! Click here for more info or to buy tickets.

Without further ado – below are my top 4 picks for when you want to stick in your headphones and get into a better headspace. 

1. “Brave” - Sara Bareilles 

With a catchy and powerful rhythm and melody, “Brave” is my go-to motivational tune.

When I was in middle school, I experienced bullying. Thank goodness I had a strong support system, and since my time in school there has been more of a conversation around bullying. However, one out of every five students between the ages of 12-18 still experiences bullying – which can be absolutely debilitating

I remember sitting on the bus replaying a single line from the song – “Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do when they settle ‘neath your skin.” As cliché as it may sound, that song got me through a few difficult weeks in middle school. 

Of course if you are experiencing bullying it’s crucial you reach out to teachers and your family. However, even with support in place, having a go-to song that makes you feel powerful, strong, and brave makes you feel so much better. 

2. “Pocketful of Sunshine” – Natasha Bedingfield

If you have older siblings there’s a great chance they’ll know this iconic 2007 tune. 

While the song has a very pop feel, lyrics such as “take me away… a secret place…a sweet escape” are obviously a bit more somber. The song centralizes around the concept of holding onto a little “pocketful of sunshine” or reminder of happiness. Despite the obstacles you may face, if you’re holding onto that bit of light you always have an escape and reminder of joy. 

I had a teacher in elementary school who was obsessed with this song.  For an in-class activity, we wrote daily notes of gratitude on heart shaped paper and stuck them in our pocket while this song played in the background. To this day this song holds a special place in my heart (and I have found myself writing little notes of gratitude to this day!)

3. “Orpheus” - Sara Bareilles

With heart wrenchingly beautiful lyrics such as “set the bad day by the bed and rest a while”, “Orpheus” is one of the best songs if you just need to let your emotions run free for a moment.

Have you ever had a bad day and everything seems to go wrong? By the time you get home from school you may toss your backpack on the ground and flop onto the bed/couch in utter defeat. Well, I have definitely done exactly that. 

Sometimes life gets the best of us, and in those moments having a chance to really tune into your emotions and have a good cry is really helpful. I know in a society where we value resilience and bravery that may sound counterintuitive – but in all honesty bottling up your emotions for the sake of strength isn’t healthy. 

So, if you’re feeling like the day just got the best of you and you need a good cry to let out all that frustration, try giving this tune a listen.

4. “Rise Up” - Andra Day 

After a cathartic moment where you let your negative emotions run wild, it’s important to recenter yourself.

‘Rise Up’ isn’t a cheery tune of optimism – it’s a complex song that recognizes the difficulties of everyday life. Yet, it does so in a way that inspires motivation through it’s powerful chorus – “I’ll rise up, high like the waves, I’ll rise up, in spite of the ache.” 

Andra Day was heavily inspired by her personal life when writing this song – a friend of hers had been diagnosed with cancer and she had been struggling to cope with the news. She describes feeling as though she was “stagnating” and needed something to push her out of a slump – “Rise Up” was that motivation. 

If you’re jamming out to some of these songs check out the rest of the lineup for the International Women's Day Benefit Concert.  Tickets are on sale now – trust me – you don’t want to miss it!

Jody Bell, 20 is Girls With Impact’s Editor in Chief and a program graduate from Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, business and leadership program for girls 14-24, turning them into tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.