How Learning the Piano Can Help Reduce Burnout Stress

Burnout is on the rise.

In 2023, an average of 22% of employees polled in a survey stated they were burnt out.

You might think that you can avoid burnout if you just take some time off. That a quick vacation is all you need to reset you and put you back on track.

This isn’t true.

The Facts

In fact, around 41% of Americans in another survey stated that they continue to experience burnout after taking time off. What does this mean for you? It means you can’t just expect your weekends or even your brief time off to fix things.

The good news is that there are methods. One of them is to learn how to play a new instrument like the piano.

Learning a New Skill Engages the Mind

Repetitive, mind-numbing tasks that don’t inspire you are a recipe for burnout. Chances are, that’s exactly what you end up doing during the work day. Most don’t work in their passion, even if they like their job.

That’s why it’s so important to pick up a new skill. When you learn how to play the piano, your entire focus and concentration is needed, meaning for once, you can finally turn off from the stress of work or even your responsibilities.

Think of learning to play like putting yourself into a bubble where the rest of your worries can fade out, if just briefly.

Music Boosts the Endorphins

Our brains just love music. Listening to music we love immediately releases endorphins, which are the feel-good chemicals or “happy hormone”. While you can get these endorphins just from listening to your favorite music, it doesn’t help if you’re still focused on your stressors.

By learning how to play easy piano songs of your favorite hits, you can enter that concentration bubble where you only have to focus on the beauty of the song, the challenge, and the joy of accomplishing. 

Skill Learning Boosts Self-Esteem

Learning something new and getting good at it takes a lot of hard work, but that hard work also comes with a sense of accomplishment and even pride – two things that can drastically help you improve your self-esteem.

Better yet, since you can do this all on your own, there’s none of the fear or stress of not being good enough (like what can happen at work). This means it’s pure accomplishment, which often comes with pure joy.

Get Creative

We all need to be creative. We need to express ourselves and have fun. Learning to play an instrument is an excellent creative outlet. Even if you never graduate to actually writing your own music, you are still making music. You are still breathing songs to life with your skillset. How you play is going to be unique as well.

Combine the Benefits of Playing with Music Therapy

There’s evidence that humans can actually work on influencing their brain waves with music. If you need to focus, for example, a bright, staccato beat can help keep you on task. If you need a good cry then a mournful ballad can be just what you need to tip yourself over the edge.

If you need help focussing, destressing, or want to put yourself in a different mindset, simply choose the song that best reflects the mental space you’d want to enter. Learning and physically playing the music can then help really catapult you into that healthier mental space.