There are physical health benefits to playing the piano as well as mental health benefits. While there are some overlaps with aspects of piano playing that are good for both physical and mental health, here is a list of six mental health benefits of playing the piano, particularly as a person ages.
- Playing the piano in retirement is good for your mental health because it is a way of spending your time that makes you feel as if you are doing something that is worthwhile. Playing the piano can make you feel as if you have done something productive during the day. Not feeling like you are wasting all your time is really beneficial to your mental health.
- When playing the piano you are often setting goals. Sometimes they are big goals, especially if you are committed to taking piano lessons. Sometimes these goals are more along the lines of learning to play a new piece of music or even learning a new line in a piece of music. Setting goals can help you feel productive and that feeling of doing something productive is great for your mental health.
- When you are playing or listening to music, you are enjoying the music, especially if you are creating it, releases dopamine in your brain, which is obviously beneficial for mental health. Even if you are having formal piano lessons and your teacher has asked you to learn a new piece of music that you initially don’t really like much (but by the time you have finished learning it, you will probably find yourself liking it) you can still find enjoyment with that particular piece of music.
- Anytime you are playing the piano you are providing enjoyment to those who can hear you play. I am not talking about performing here, I’m just talking about the people who live in the same household as you and maybe your neighbors that live close enough to hear. Knowing that you are providing pleasure to others is an added bonus which the fact of doing something nice for others has a positive impact on your mental health.
- Playing the piano is actually really good for keeping your hands and fingers moving as you age and therefore it is actually really good for maintaining your fine motor skills. As a result, this can potentially delay someone needing regular assistance for daily tasks. Maintaining independence (or even just delaying needing assistance with daily tasks) is great for good mental health, especially for people who have always been fiercely independent.
- Because you use your brain, not just your hands to play the piano, by playing regularly you are keeping mentally alert and active. This is obviously good for your mental health because even though you might not be able to be as physically active as you once were, you can still be mentally active and not become bored and withdrawn, which is obviously not good for your mental health.
Most of the reasons I have laid out as to why playing the piano in retirement is good for mental health, are quite obvious, but still nevertheless worthwhile stating.
So what other reasons do you need to be convinced that playing the piano in retirement is a very worthwhile activity?