Learning an instrument helps to manage stress?

For many people, yes. Playing an instrument or singing requires so much care that concerns get put to the background for a while. Also, she commands breathing and leaves a sense of accomplishment. It's not a treatment for stress or anxiety, but it can be a valuable daily pause within a more balanced life.

Here we tell you why practice works as pause, how to design a session thought to get you out of line, how to avoid that music becomes another demand and when it's time to seek professional help.

To sum up

Playing or singing wants complete care: so many people have been living as a mental pause.
To listen to music can relax and to make music, and also to his hands, his breathing and his concentration.
A session to get you out of line is different from one to move forward: far cell phone, slow sounds and something you enjoy.
If practice becomes another source of pressure, match goals with your teacher.
Music does not replace medical and psychological care. If stress affects your sleep, work or mood, consult a professional.

Why playing feels like a pause

It's hard to think about the pending mail while trying to get three fingers to fall at once into a chord. Playing an instrument takes up his face, ear, hands and memory at the same time, and that total occupation leaves little space for mental noise.

Attention currently: The music happens in real time and if you get distracted, you'll notice them soon.
More paused breathing: singing or playing an instrument of wind forces you to organize the air. At piano or guitar, slow phrases invite you to breathe with them.
A challenge to your care: That's hard enough to concentrate and that's good enough to enjoy.
Retirement of accomplishment: at the end of the session there's something concrete that worked better for you yesterday.

That's how many adults describe how they play them: they feel "a attic" and, as they look at their watch, half an hour have passed. That doesn't turn music into a therapy but explain why so many people are after them at the end of the day.

Play music or make music

Both are valid but they are not the same:

Listen and make music as pause in the day
Aspecto	Listen to music	Play or sing
Esfuerzo	I'll come down and you can do that while you do something else.	It takes dedication and a while just for that.
Attention	He can stay with his background.	It requires complete concentration.
Cuerpo	Passive, or moving if you dance.	Hands and breathing and posture.
Later	It's changing the mood of the moment.	It also leaves the feeling of something to have been learned.
When's that good?	In the car, at work, before sleep.	A daily ritual to get you out of line.

Do not have to choose: listen carefully to what you are learning is also part of practice.

A practice thought to get you out of line

A session to move forward, as we describe in [how to practice music at home]](/blog/como-practicar-musica-en-casa)A session to get you off the phone looks for something else: be here and enjoy. That's a simple structure from 15 to 20 minutes:

Put his cell phone back in another room. or as an airplane. It's the most difficult and most important step.
Do three slow breaths before they touch, feeling their feet on the ground and their shoulders loose.
Touch long sounds: paedal held notes with panda, slow guitar pounding or long singing notes. Listen to how every sound starts and how it goes out.
He plays a piece that you know, with peace and without searching for perfection.
Close with five minutes of free play: improvise on a scale, delay a melody or repeat a chord you like.

Altertle the days: some to advance with what the teacher gave and some to play for pleasure. The two types of session add up.

When practice becomes another source of stress

There's a frequent trap in very demanding adults: turn music into another performance to fulfill. Some signs:

That's how you feel about how bad you are.
You get upset with yourself every time you're wrong.
Just play what you have to have and never what you enjoy.
That's how you compare with social networking musicians or with other students.
The deadlines give you more anguish than motivation.

If you recognize yourself, talk with your teacher. A good teacher sets up the plan: more gentle goals, repertoire as you like, tipless days. Rejog at an error, play something bad on purpose or devote an entire day to improvising as well as to learn.

What instrument to choose if you are trying to get off

Any instrument serves if you like. Still, each offers a different experience:

Piano: The harmonies and the pedal create an enveloping sound. It's ideal to improvise with few chords and practice with hearing aids at night. That's how [piano classes]](/clases/piano).
Acoustic guitar: play on the couch, balcony or a walk, and the slow pits have something about meditative. Know about [acoustic guitar classes]](/clases/guitarra-acustica).
I'm singing: He works his breath and posture directly and allows you to let go of his voice, something that many adults have been missing for years. singing classes.
Percussion: Reels and drawer allow you to download power and connect with your pulse.

If you have never touched and care about how to get more stressful, start with small goals and patient teacher. First achievements come soon and [it's never late to start]](/blog/es-tarde-para-aprender-musica-a-los-30-40-o-50).

Music doesn't replace professional help

Learning an instrument is an activity that many people enjoy as pause but it's not a treatment. A class of music isn't musicotapes either, that's a professional discipline with therapeutic aims.

That being said, having a space of his own, a weekly date with someone who teaches you and a while of the day to do something with his hands can be a good ally, along with other habits as rest, exercise and time with yours.

Frequently asked questions

Do you play an instrument reduce anxiety?

Many people say they feel quieter after they play, but learning music isn't an anxiety treatment. If anxiety's common or intense, consult with a health care professional and music can be a pleasant complement.

How much time a day should we play to get out of line?

At about 15 to 20 minutes, the session will have to work as a pause. The important thing is that it be a while without interruptions or screens.

Learning from scratch isn't gonna stress me out more?

That's why you have to start with small goals, a repertoire that you like and a teacher that understands that your main goal is to enjoy.

Do virtual classes serve at night after work?

Yeah. For many people it's the easiest way to have class without adding up to a long day's displacement. Just care that space is quiet and put a few minutes between the last meeting and class.