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Wellness smartphone apps. Gym memberships and yoga classes. Mindfulness hacks. In the rush of our daily lives, many of us look in all directions for tangible ways to keep tabs on our mental health. But did you know that there are multiple mental health benefits to be found in the live performing arts? For National Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s worth looking to the theater as both a place for entertainment and a calming sanctuary for the mind. 

Here are a few ways the live performing arts serve as a powerful tool for mental well-being.

Emotional Release and Regulation

Have you ever been moved to tears at your Fox Cities P.A.C., but weren’t quite sure why? Watching a story unfold on stage allows us to process our own dormant feelings of grief, joy and fear – a therapeutic release known as catharsis. By allowing ourselves to express these pent-up feelings in a safe environment through the lens of the characters onstage, we are then allowed to navigate our own personal challenges with added resilience. (Source)

Social Connection and Belonging

If you’ve ever seen a rehearsal or performance from the participating schools in the Center Stage High School Musical Theater Program – don’t miss the Showcase on May 16! – you already know one thing to be true: these kids love each other. On the performance side, the arts offer opportunities for individuals of all ages and skill levels to come together in an in-person setting, and that’s enormously valuable in our increasingly digital world. And the same is true for the audience – shared experiences of cheering, crying or sitting in rapt attention strengthen social bonds, create a sense of community, and can even reduce loneliness. (Source)

Reduction in Stress and Anxiety

Generally speaking, artistic activities like painting and dancing are a benefit to mental health simply by virtue of pulling your focus away from regular stressors. These activities reduce a person’s levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, which in turn has been proven to decrease anxiety and depression. The same is true of attending a live performance – your brain transitions from its normal state of stimulated multi-tasking to one of deep, singular focus. It’s a (lightly) enforced digital detox, and that’s a reset we can all use from time to time. (Source)

That Post-Show Glow

Doesn’t the air just feel lighter as you head for the exits after a show? You’re not just imagining that – the beauty and talent you’ve just witnessed triggers a release of endorphins and dopamine, which work together to reduce pain, mitigate stress and improve motivation. And because this is happening alongside hundreds of your friends and neighbors, the feelings being reinforced are positive, communal ones – sociologist Emile Durkheim called it “collective effervescence,” which is a name we wish we’d thought of. (Source)

So, as we celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s give ourselves permission to be entertained, challenged and inspired – and, perhaps, discover a little added pep in our steps as well. Check the upcoming schedule, grab a friend, and join us for a performance at your Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.