Being in lockdown is putting a lot of people in unfamiliar, scary circumstances.
The impact of being in the house all day, everyday cannot be understated. So many people around the world are struggling with mental health and happiness in these difficult times. The stress of going out for supplies, the anxiety caused by the media, and the strain of being in the house 24 hours a day has been a lot to manage.
All things considered, is it any wonder that so many content creators and artists all around the world are doubling their efforts to keep people’s spirits up? Musicians, comedians, and drag artists are putting on free performances, small businesses are giving away free goodies, and designers are creating uplifting pieces for customers to enjoy.
There are plenty of positive, uplifting efforts being made on social media as well. Niche communities like the editing and moodboard community on Instagram have been making an effort to lift moods, and celebrities have been getting involved as well. One notable example of this is Noel Fielding, who set up a virtual art club to keep children happy and motivated.
Here at Cool Things Chicago, our team thinks that it is truly heartwarming to see the positive impact that art can have on the community.
One particular person in the news lately that caught our eye recently was the delightful Elmhurst bagpipes player, who has been keeping his neighbour’s spirits up immensely. Brian Costello has been heading to his yard every evening since the beginning of lockdown, to play the bagpipes for his friends, family, and neighbours.
Brian is fully dedicated to this endeavour, wearing a traditional Celtic outfit and performing a wide variety of different songs. He has even been posting videos of his performances on Facebook, which you can find here, and has been using items like tents to keep the performances going on during poor weather.
Friends, family members, and neighbors have all been traveling to Brian’s yard to hear him play- from a safe distance, of course. It’s truly beautiful to see somebody putting this much effort into entertaining their community and loved ones.
After all, music has an immensely positive effect on mental health and happiness. As this handy VeryWellMinds article points out, music has been proven to have a healing effect on the mind and even on the body. Listening to music can be fun or calming, but it can actually have a real effect on factors like stress and anxiety.
Music is also believed to have positive impacts on things like cognitive ability and memory. As many of you who are working from home right now will know, getting distracted or forgetting things can be detrimental when working in a self-led environment. Listening to music while you work could be a great way to stay focused in lockdown.
It’s important to pick out the right type of music to listen to while you’re working, though. Many people turn to classical music or solo piano pieces while working, but we would personally recommend checking out lo-fi music. Lo-fi music is incredibly calming and is perfect for long writing or reading sessions.
Overall, music is incredibly uplifting and can be a great way to keep yourself in good spirits during the lockdown. Brian Costello has certainly done an incredible thing by sharing his talents with his community, and we’re sure that he’s going to continue to put smiles on people’s faces as we head further into the year.
If you know somebody that is struggling with lockdown or feeling anxious about working from home, why not offer to make them a playlist? Curate some positive, uplifting songs to help them feel better, using a platform like Spotify or Deezer. It’s always lovely to make things for people, and the community needs as much positivity as possible in 2020.
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