The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 8 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on April 30, 2021.
Jane Wood ’24
Staff Writer
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to our everyday lives. For many, these changes have also meant a decline in their mental health. In addition to harming our mental health, the pandemic has also impaired our ability to be productive.
Melissa Wallace ’24, a freshman at Lake Forest College, noted that “with COVID, especially…when we went online, I had zero motivation to do anything…[it is]beginning to…be a routine to just wait [un]til the last minute to do everything.”
Many college students have fallen into this “routine” of procrastinating. Dina Graves, a freshman at Clemson University in South Carolina, has had similar experiences. She reported that she “…feels less motivated it stresses [her]out to do even the small things just because things are more difficult online.”
Christy Vavloukis is a therapist intern at North Park University in Chicago. She works with students and understands how the pandemic has affected students’ mental health.
“COVID has resulted in an increase in students seeking counseling support for struggles with anxiety and depression,” Vavloukis said. “Many students report that the pandemic forced them into down time where the limited number of distractions caused them greater awareness of negative feelings.”
Despite all of these personal issues and negative feelings being brought up, there are still various ways for people to cope. One of the most popular and effective coping mechanisms is listening to music. Wallace uses music throughout the day to unwind. “I listen to music from the time I wake up [un]til I go to bed. It relaxes me and is a nice constant,” she added. Wallace also listens to music while studying. “It definitely helps me to be productive. I need some sort of noise in order to focus,” she said. Vavloukis said she was not surprised to hear that listening to music helps some students. “Many students who report feeling depressed due to isolation report that using music as a coping mechanism is helpful in reducing feelings of loneliness,” she shared.
So, why does music help us? In a study done by Karen Landay in the Human ResourceManagement Review, Landay noted that “[m]usic has been shown to impact task performance,organizational citizenship behaviors, and learning.”
Many students have found that music can help them to de-stress and become more productive. As finals season arrives, listening to music may be the extra boost students need to finish the semester strong.
