Why Going To Therapy Is A Great Activity For Brain Health

Therapy is used for a number of reasons. For some people, it's an opportunity to share thoughts and emotions linked to a certain event or experience. For others, it's a chance to learn to better understand and manage a mental health condition. Therapy can also help to aid brain health. Healthline explains that therapy provides the opportunity to explore any issues, concerns, or thoughts carefully while in a safe space.

As per Web MD, your brain is one of the most incredible parts of your body; it's the root of every thought and feeling. Your brain is responsible for your creative thoughts, as well as your emotions, your memories, and how your body moves. It's far too easy to take the amount of work that your brain does for granted and fail to think about the importance of taking care of your brain health.

According to Harvard Health, our brains change constantly as we age, and our mental capacity changes along the way. Taking steps to look after your brain can help to ensure that your brain has a better chance of staying healthy throughout your life.

As per Harvard Health, research performed on both mice and humans has shown that mental stimulation, such as talking, can help to stimulate the nerve cells to build new connections, and may also help to encourage the brain to create whole new cells. People who suffer from feelings of anxiety or depression, or who struggle to sleep properly, tend to have lower cognitive function. While a lower cognitive function does not necessarily suggest a cognitive decline as you age, it is still worth taking steps to care for your mental health, and therapy is a great way to do that.

Web MD explains that when you are talking and sharing your thoughts — whether that's when socializing or speaking to a therapist — your blood circulates differently and reaches a number of different areas in your brain, due to you needing to listen and take the time to formulate responses.

There's also the fact that when you are sharing how you are feeling with someone else, you are less likely to struggle with feelings of anxiety and depression. These kinds of issues can impact how well your brain works. This is because your brain is focused on the worries and concerns and it isn't able to properly focus on new factors.

Therapy can help to manage these conditions, while also aiding brain health.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.