Music An Off-Setting Stressor

 

    As highschool students, rest is oftentimes an option. Each week is filled with homework, studying, and worrying about how the grades you get now will affect your college chances. During the pandemic however, in quarantine, isolated and alone in our homes, we had time. The shift to virtual school also left teenagers with more time on their hands than they have had in a while. The absence of having nothing to do, and the procrastination when we did, brought stress to us all. 
For about the last two years, I have undergone a self revelation and have become at peace with myself– it probably would not have happened if it were not for quarantine. Prior to being isolated from everyone and stuck in my room each day, I was a stressed individual each day even if it were not school related. Having more time to myself, to simply think, allowed me to realize that all the stress I had was not necessarily a bad thing, but actually something that defined me. Defined as the feeling of feeling overwhelmed as a result of physical, emotional, or mental pressure, stress was simply a part of me. 
    Despite this, I knew I had to reduce this stress before it started to really catch up on me. I began to listen to music. Prior to the pandemic I was not a huge music person and people were surprised whenever that conversation would come up. Most days I just popped in my airpods and let the lyrics and beat of whatever artist was playing take me and I just sat there. Soon enough, I saw the results myself, I was more productive with my days whether it was getting school work done or helping around the house. I felt at peace, I was calm, something that I had not felt much before. I was prioritizing my mental health rather than it being a second thought in my head.