Bashing it Out.

My anxiety's been through the roof lately, though I've been trying to rein it in with my usual coping techniques - meditation being the main one - but interestingly, I've found drumming particularly beneficial too.

I ordered an electric kit at the start of lockdown - although it only arrived at the beginning of May - firmly intending to work on an aspect of my musicality for the first time in God knows how long. I'm a lazy musician who only practises when I'm working, which is shocking really. And drumming's something I've never spent much time on, though I've always been very comfortable with percussion, so it's not too big a stretch.

Ordering the kit ticked a lot of boxes in the current circumstances, offering the opportunity for exercise that I was sure would be good for my mental health. And the latter's already evident. It's fair to say I'm going through a rough patch with my depression and anxiety that's been aggravated by family circumstances. And while lockdown with my wife's been pretty pleasant day-today, the fact my work's dried up and Mostly Comedy's at serious risk of folding hasn't helped; I'm currently living on my PIP, and so much money's tied up in buying my mum out of my dad's house that everything's in flux. So my fight-or-flight impulses are being triggered and no mistake.

Yesterday and today, I disappeared to practise the moment the fear kicked in, and both times, I came out the other side with my mood lifted. Playing the drums is mindfulness in action. And getting lost in the feel of the rhythm's a good workout both mentally and physically. I'm glad I've got it as without it I'd be too much time in my thoughts. And when things a bad, that's an unhealthy place to be.

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