Five years ago, I bought my first drum set (See my post “My Drum Set is Here.”), and since then, I have had so much fun playing the drums! 🙂
I firmly believe that playing instruments has a positive influence on one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Aside from being so much fun to play, I have found two benefits of playing the drums:
1. Playing the Drums Relieves Anger and Stress
I think it is extremely important for people to find healthy ways to release their anger (See my post “Releasing Anger in a Healthy Way,”). When I am angry or feeling stressed out, I have found that banging on the drums brings me instantaneous relief. While playing the drums, I am able to better process challenging situations and find solutions to problems. After a good ten minutes or so of consistent drum playing, I find that my mood dramatically improves! 🙂
2. Playing the Drums Helps You Focus
In a society where technology is becoming more and more ingrained in our lives, and constantly multi-tasking is become more and more expected of people, it is completely understandable that people are struggling with the ability to focus. I love playing the drums because it forces me to focus. I cannot allow myself to get distracted while playing. I need to keep a steady beat while playing different rhythms and constantly moving my hands. When I play the drums, I get absorbed in the music; all I have are my drums and my thoughts. Muti-tasking is not allowed. 😉
Based on my experience, I determined that these were two benefits of playing the drums. However, I had a suspicion that there were more benefits out there, and I was correct. 🙂
According to the BBC article, “Can our natural rhythm heal us?”, there are are 5 more benefits to playing the drums! 😮
They are:
3. Playing the Drums Gives You Energy
4. Playing the Drums Helps You Relax
5. Playing the Drums Lowers Your Blood Pressure
6. Playing the Drums Strengthens Your Immune System
7. Playing the Drums Helps You Develop Healthy Relationships
The list above contains seven great reasons to start playing the drums! If you already play, maybe this list will inspire you to play more often. 🙂
To all the drum players out there, what do you think are some other benefits of playing the drums?
Allison Merten 
I’ve been thinking about picking up the drums just for fun but I had no idea there were so many other benefits to learning them. I like that you mention how studies have shown that beats help us relax or concentrate. This sounds like a great way to help me fall asleep before bed, so thanks for sharing!
Thank you for checking out my post and sharing your thoughts, Ron! I do hope you pick up the drums! 🙂