During the pandemic, many people listened to some of their favorite songs at some point. Listening to those songs may have affected people’s mental health and could have made them feel better or worse. Music could have also inspired them to get up, stand up or try to get in shape.

According to The American Psychological Association, “In June, the Global Council on Brain Health, an independent science and policy collaborative devoted to understanding brain health, released a report concluding that music has ‘significant potential to enhance brain health and well-being for individuals of different ages and different levels of health and making recommendations for future study.” 

With this being said, many students within the district have been affected by music and its health-enhancing powers. Between doing school work and managing their own activities at home, some students have used music to help cope with their life situations. For example, imagine a student gets a large English project which is due in a short amount of time. Suddenly, a popular song comes on Spotify, and his or her productivity skyrockets. Music could also potentially relieve stress for some students. Using music as a method of relaxation could help improve mental health and overall mood, especially in stressful situations, acting as a way for students to relax. 

The pandemic has essentially isolated Americans in their homes for months on end, leaving them with a constant fear of the virus. This meant several people had a lack of activities to do or people to see, leaving many people feeling more depressed than they usually had. COVID-19 has affected many gathering events, such as weddings, funerals, sporting events and concerts. Because of these events being canceled, lots of people had to find alternate activities in order to keep themselves distracted. Some of these activities would include jogging, listening to music, painting, picking up new hobbies and streaming T.V. shows. 

From a physical standpoint, jogging seemed to be the most popular activity during the pandemic and people also went on walks frequently. Listening to music while doing these physical activities could help motivate people to push themselves or exercise even more than they usually would. Although places like gyms and fitness centers were closed due to the pandemic, many people came up with ways to work out in their own homes. They could possibly use speakers or headphones to listen to music while exercising in their own homes and space. 

The COVID-19 pandemic affected all people around the world and has seemingly changed the way society functions. Music is used as a method of relaxation, stress relief or motivation to accomplish many tasks. Listening to music could potentially be a solution to those going through a rough time in their lives.