Music with vocals.
Lyrics are affirmations. Do I really want to be installing those affirmations into my brain? Probably not. Listen to instrumental music instead.
Modern music. Is any random song #Lindy? Probably not. Just think of all of the songs on the radio when you were a kid and how few still get air time. Listen to old stuff.
How old? How about 200 years or more, as a rough threshold? Chopin and Liszt, sure. But that’s about as modern as I care to go right now.
And if you’re going old, allow sacred choral music. That a good affirmation to install. This is an acceptable exception to the “No vocals” rule.
Minor key music. I noticed that this is my preference. Let’s switch it up to major key.
Podcasts. In the effort to level up I run a steady stream of podcasts into my ears. No. Time to do, and learn by doing. Not learn by listening. (Exception: learn a language.)
Or install silence. That’s what I’m doing right now.
Let the brain be undistracted by music or podcasts. See what thoughts come up and gently let the thoughts go. See where the brain and self-talk settles in, as default mode. I’ve been shouting it down for my entire life. I have avoided silence.