Right now, COVID-19 has gripped the entire world in uncertainty, as the global pandemic has accelerated stress and heightened fear. As you know, stress is the enemy of the immune system, so any which way you can alleviate tension is always a good thing.

Think of it as relaxing music for mitigation, and it’s a genre that’s being talked about much more these days. Streaming of classical music, along with folk and children’s music, has seen a surge in popularity recently. Classical music has always been a staple for accompanying studying or reading, but now more people are finding it can sooth frayed nerves as well.

And there are plenty of resources online to help you find the appropriate relaxing music. At melodyloops.com, you
can download royalty free background music that’s perfect for presentations or podcasts. The very first featured channel? It’s entitled Green Fields and it describes itself as “calm and gentle acoustic folk background music played with guitar and piano.”

You’ll also want to check out this recent program on Wisconsin Public Radio, in which host Rob Ferrett suggests music for living in high-stressed and uncertain times. Sirius XM, just this Tuesday, announced the launch of their newest station, The Calm Channel. 

According to its description, it features “soothing sounds of ambient music, nature melodies, quiet lullabies and simple meditations providing the perfect backdrop to take a deep breath and let go of life’s daily stresses.” The channel is partnered with, naturally, the meditation and wellness app Calm.

“Certainly music has an impact on the brain, and anxiety and stress impact the immune system,” Dr. Andrew Levin, a University of Pittsburgh neurologist told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Music is a part of my stress release paradigm. We know that music can affect brain states, so I don’t believe it is much of a stretch to say that music can indirectly affect our physiology, and there is research that supports this notion.”

The science is in, and it says relaxing music can help. And if we’re all going to get through this current pandemic, we need to make sure we listen to the scientists.

Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.

You can follow Banks, a former writer for Chicago Tribune.com, on Twitter and his cat on Instagram.

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