How Watching Live Theater is Good for the Mind

March 2020 - In this age of technology, people often turn to screens for entertainment. From smartphone apps to Netflix movies and videogames, so much stimulation comes from hours spent staring at screens. It's not hard to believe that over time, when not balanced with other activities, this can harm your health.

Since you don't even need to get off the couch for entertainment, the physical implications are apparent. More importantly, the mental and psychological repercussions can present themselves in many different ways, such as social anxiety and unrealistic expectations.

Take a break from the screens

So, how can you break away from the screens and take in a cultural experience that is good for you? Through live theater. Watching theater is not only entertaining but has also been shown to have many benefits in terms of mental wellbeing.

It's essential to take care of your mental health, and if you can be entertained in the process, then what's stopping you? If you want to go check out some live theater, there are tons of tickets out there on Ticket Sales for a variety of genres.

Here are some of the ways that viewing a live theater show is good for the mind.

Broaden the mind

The general society promotes limiting beliefs and societal standards that people are meant to uphold. It creates a very narrow mindset that can stop people, especially children, from reaching their full potential. Live theater opens the audience up to new thoughts and ideas, creating an understanding of people and situations beyond what you see in day to day life. The impact is much more substantial when you watch live theater as opposed to watching a movie or television show. Your mind reacts differently in-person, with the creative and imaginative brain firing on all fronts. A broader mind will allow you to be a more cultural consumer in general.

Access hidden emotions

People have often been encouraged to suppress their feelings. On the outside, you're supposed to pretend you're always happy, and everything's ok when that is not the case. Theater encourages embracing and expressing emotions in their most extreme form. Not only do actors feel a range of emotion in theater, but they also exaggerate them. As a human, watching others express emotions can trigger that emotional response in you as well. Theater shows you it's ok and healthy to feel all types of emotion and to understand empathy.

Stress-relief

Those who watch live theater have a reduction of stress and tension. The experience is so immersive that the audience can quickly become immersed in the show. Live theater allows you to forget about your daily stresses and feel at peace while you are watching. When you watch a movie at home, there are often distractions present, or you can rewind and go back to what you missed. In live theater, you are part of the show and feel a connection with the actors that makes your worries disappear. The magical moments you experience at a live show will leave you feeling a sense of euphoria even after you leave the theater.

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