Boost Your Mental Health By Playing an Instrument

By Guest Blogger Marie Miguel

Many things have been shown to boost mental health: keeping a diary and taking care of your body to name a couple. However, did you know that playing an instrument also works to boost your mental health?
Playing an instrument relieves stress. While listening to music also has that effect, creating it is calming and soothing in a way that just listening can’t accomplish. While playing, you can empty your mind of all your worries. You can get lost in the feeling of the instrument against your fingertips, the concentration of ensuring you play the right notes, and the sound of the music you’ve created.
Learning an instrument also has the ability to make you smarter. It’s a challenging cognitive exercise. Playing an instrument is like a workout for your brain. It makes your brain fitter. It can even protect your mind against aging, since learning an instrument takes years of practice. It may create alternate connections in the brain that can prevent cognitive declines as you get older.
Making music as an adult can have many additional health benefits as well. Being physically healthy is always a good way to help you maintain your mental health. Playing a musical instrument has been linked to lower blood pressure, decreased heart rate, and reduced stress.
In fact, studies have found that playing an instrument can actually reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. These conditions often benefit from activities that calm the mind and body. Playing an instrument takes a certain amount of focus, which can distract you from your symptoms of anxiety and depression. In addition, when you do something that you love it can help you combat those feelings of listlessness, uselessness, and stagnation that often come with depression.
Studies have also shown that when you play an instrument throughout your life you are less likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s later in life. Playing an instrument is good cognitive exercise that keeps the brain functioning at a higher level. If you or a loved one knows how to play an instrument, it is a good idea to make sure that you can keep up that hobby or talent throughout your senior years as you age.
Of course, playing an instrument is not the only way to remain mentally fit. There are many ways that you can help keep yourself mentally well. When playing an instrument no longer helps you combat anxiety or depression, or if your depression is so severe that you are no longer able to play the instrument effectively, you may need additional help.
Help is always available from BetterHelp.com. You can talk to a therapist over the phone, online, through video chat, or through text. With Better Help you will be able to get back some of the enjoyment that you have in playing an instrument and be able to get back to what you love. Contact them today for more information, to get started, or for more advice about maintaining your mental health.

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Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.