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.

There are a lot of things that you can do to improve your mental health at home. One of the things that many people do not consider is music therapy. There are five different types of music therapy that are used in psychiatric settings, and you can make use of all of them on your own at home. Music plays an important role in mental health. You may have noticed that when you listen to certain songs they calm you down when you are anxious or lift your mood when you are depressed. But this is just one part of music therapy.

Lyric analysis is one way that you can use music to help your mental health. Some songs have powerful lyrics that can bring to mind certain situations that you may be trying to overcome. One particular song may be describing the way you feel right at this moment. Breaking down the lyrics of such songs and thinking about how they apply to your life or your feelings or current mood can really help you work through issues and get back on track.

Playing music can also boost your mental health. There have been many studies that show that playing a music instrument, even poorly or by improvisation, can help you boost your mood and improve cognitive ability. If you can’t play an instrument, singing has also been proven to boost mood and relieve anxiety.

Of course, just listening to music can help you boost your mood and feel better. Different people listen to different types of music to boost their mood. In fact, one type of music may not be appropriate for every mood that you are in. You may have different playlists for different moods or situations that cause anxiety or trigger depression. Upbeat music is usually recommended to boost mood, while soothing slower music is generally recommended for anxiety. However, you can mix it up and listen to whatever music does the most for your mood based on your preferences.

Finally, songwriting is a great way to use music to boost your mental health. Writing songs can help you process your emotions, thoughts, and feelings. If you aren’t good at making up your own melodies, you can make up your own lyrics to melodies that you already know.

Of course, music alone will not maintain the balance of mental health if you are suffering from anxiety or depression. There are a lot of other ways that you can boost your mental health. One great resource is BetterHelp.com. Better Help offers a lot of advice on things you can do to improve your mental health. They also offer online therapy by phone, text, online, or video chat. You can access their advice and therapists any time of the day or night, seven days per week. If you are suffering from anxiety or depression and music therapy alone is not helping, contact Better Help today for more information or to get started with online therapy.