We all have bad days, that much is a fact of life. How we handle them, however, often shapes our life overall. My favorite way, and one I know a lot of people share, is listening to music. Music is actually scientifically demonstrated to be able to influence mood in a variety of ways. Here is a list of songs, in the order I'd recommend listening to, that should help cheer you up on your next bad day. Even if these songs aren't quite your style, the explanations are intended to help you find something that is your style to fill the song's place.

1. Underground by Peter Hollens

One of my favorite artists, Peter Hollens never fails to deliver amazing music. This one is particularly dark and can suit any kind of bad mood. Angry, bitter, depressed, this song can capture those moods. A lot of people recommend happy music when you're sad, but it is just jarring to do that. This song meets you in the darkness and offers a hand to hold so that the other songs can begin to move you out of it. This one also has a nerdy appeal: It's from one of the Assassin's Creed games.

2. Mary, Did You Know? by Peter Hollens

I'm not particularly religious, but this song is so rich in tones I feel like I'm wrapping myself in a blanket of sound any time I listen to it. This song just feels good to listen to, regardless of mood. It takes the hand that the first song offered and begins to lead you from whatever dark mood you're in. I like that the tone is relatively neutral, just very rich. It doesn't ask you to feel a particular way (except maybe awe or reverence) and so is a great neutral song to help bring you to a more positive mental state. If you are Christian, then I can imagine this song being particularly helpful.

3. When You Believe by Celtic Woman

This one starts hitting closer to home for me. I use it less as belief in a higher power and more as belief in myself or those around me who enrich my life. The voices of the Celtic Woman group are some of my favorite performers of this song, and favorite performers in general (you'll see them a few times in this list). This particular song begins to take you from the neutral emotional tone from the previous song, and builds it into one of hope and looking towards the future. This song alone has lifted my mood more times than I can count but any slow, low-key song with hopeful themes can serve the same purpose.

4. You'll Never Walk Alone by Celtic Woman

This one takes the hopeful tone of the last one and acknowledges that we all face hard times. We face challenges and this song encourages us to walk on despite them. One of the great messages of this song is to think of those who you have to support you through these challenges. I love how the song starts small and builds to get bigger and stronger with more and more voices added in. Even if this style isn't your thing, I'd recommend a song that does something similar in the fourth spot.

5. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Celtic Woman

So yes, I might be a bit too fond of Celtic Woman, but it's hard to call that a bad thing with a song like this. This continues the theme of the past two; it acknowledges that hard times happen and provides support and encouragement for those times. At this point in the playlist, I'm generally feeling significantly better. Problems seem more like obstacles to overcome rather than weights to carry and the perception of facing it all alone is replaced by thinking about who is there for me.

6. Sound of Silence by Disturbed

This song begins the next important step of adding energy to the music. The first two met you in whatever bad mood you might have been in, the next three begin to lift it but keep the low-energy of being sad. This one begins a gentle transition to higher energy without necessarily forcing it as much as the next does. Any song that makes that transition from calm to higher energy is welcome at this half-way mark. It's also a personal favorite.

7. You'll Be In My Heart by Celtic Woman

Lyrically, this one actually belongs earlier in the list. Musically, however, it fits better as a transition. This one adds more energy to that same theme, bringing us to a place where more 'traditional' feel-good music can do it's job. How it differs from the song before is by bringing the energy level up just a notch higher. Both do the gentle transition of adding energy, this one just does a little more.

8. We Are by Ana Johnsson

From the Spider-man soundtrack, this one starts entering into energizing territory. Especially for those who feel like they're under constant criticism, this will do the trick. Here is where the songs start emphasizing your values and as such will be very personal. What's important is beginning self-affirmation with a song that transitions between lower and higher energy levels. This one switches back and forth a few times and, as such, fits the role very well.

9. Hero by Heather Dale

Now the priority shifts more to self-affirmation than just energy levels. Again, the songs get more personal at this point and you will want to pick ones that speak to you specifically. What matters is that the subject matter of the music reflects your values and traits. This song talks about doing the right thing even if it results in negative consequences and leaving a positive legacy, which reflects some of my values. Yours might be different and that's perfectly fine.

10. The Light by Disturbed

This is simply one of my favorite songs, but also has a great message for improving mood. At this point your mood should be good enough to not respond with skepticism when hearing that sometimes good things can hide in bad ("sometimes darkness can show you the light"). You can substitute any song you wish here, but it should be one that you identify as "feel-good" music.

11. How Did You Love by Shinedown

As with the previous, put one of your favorite songs here. I'd recommend finding another song with self-affirmation if at all possible and keep the energy levels up. By this song, your mood should be neutral, at worst (assuming nothing else happened while listening to these songs).

Even if you don't like all of these songs, they provide a framework into which you can insert music you do like. What matters is starting with music with a tone that matches your mood then slowly have it transition to bring you out and offer support then finish with self-affirmation as a preventative step to keep your mood up. Your list might be longer, might be shorter or even change entirely based on why you're in a bad mood, all of that is perfectly fine.

When listening, don't just have these on in the background while you do other things. Actually listen to and focus on the music, being mindful of what it means and how it makes you feel. Listening casually simply won't cut it, listen actively to get the full benefit.

Let's share this around and hopefully brighten at least one person's day!