Need a mental health activity? Looking for something to add to your self-care routine?
Why not create music, and sit down at the piano to relax?
The last couple of years have taught us a lot about mental health. We’re starting to realize that mindset can help with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Stress relief is necessary to maintain a positive mindset. And what better way to do that than with discovering the musician deep within?
A 2020 study of music and stress suggests listening to music can lower heart rates, improve our sense of well-being, reduce physical and emotional stress levels, and reduce stress-related symptoms.
Playing the piano can increase the benefits, with studies linking music making to a healthy body, a healthy mind, and a healthy life.
If you’re looking for an activity to help bring peace back into your life, it may start by improving your listening skills. While you might already enjoy certain genres of music, play it up and discover new music. Explore jazz, classic, Celtic, and contemporary music. You can find playlists on your favorite music platform that promise calmness, and are designed for the sole purpose to help you relax.
Then take it to the next level. Why not learn to play the piano to take an active part in removing stress from your life? A few minutes a day becoming actively involved in creating music can set you on a different track.
Any time you learn to play an instrument, you’re actively involved in also increasing your confidence. Why? Because it takes confidence to work up music to a point where you share it with others, even if it’s only with family and friends, and your piano teacher. Take it to the next level and play at a recital, and you’ll give yourself an added boost of confidence. It takes a lot of small wins to become an accomplished pianist.
Whether you choose to make your piano playing a social activity, or prefer to stick closer to home, the sense of accomplishment every time you sit down to play can be the perfect addition to your self-care routine.
Have you always wanted to play the piano?
Maybe this is the year to make it a reality.
