Extracurriculars: Benefits for the Brain

Whether you play a sport or participate in music or clubs, you are involved in an extracurricular activity.
Now that school has started up again, it’s more important than ever to get involved.
Some may say that after-school activities are too time-consuming, but really these people don’t understand these activities’ benefits. Yes, it does help in applying for colleges, and yes, it does help hone skills. However, there is one essential aspect of these activities that some people oversee.
Think about when you were in a very intense team practice, working on a challenging musical arrangement, or even a club project. How did you feel?
The stress of the day fades away as you focus on your activity, pushing all your thoughts and emotion into what you do. That is the feeling that many people can enjoy while participating in these activities.
Sophomore Tori Molenaar explains how dance has helped improve her life and overcome obstacles: “Dancing is my way of expressing myself… it takes all the distractions and stress away. It is a small moment where anyone can tell their story with their body, and in some dances, I have also learned small but important lessons.”
Sophomore Cheyenne Torres understands. “Whenever I am doing an extracurricular activity, whether it is music or track, I feel happy about what I am doing, and I feel like honestly I am on top of the world,” she says about both her sport and music activities.
According to Linda Gorman, a teaching professor in the Krieger School’s Neuroscience Program, endorphins are released when we feel pleasure from doing anything such as running, which is also enjoyable to animals when hunting prey. What is uniquely human is that these same endorphins are also released when we do things such as art and exploring new places, which is why both sports and other activities make us feel the same sense of happiness.
These activities help us mentally by building relationships with friends who share similar interests.
When teammates cheer at a game, this can boost confidence in the activity and everyday life. Making these friends in clubs and activities can provide more of a sense of community at school and build many friendships, ultimately leading to a more enjoyable school year.
Because of how extracurriculars clear our brain of the day’s stress and help build confidence among peers, they are beneficial for mental health, and can even boost grades as well!
A study done by the USDE reveals that students who participate in after school activities are three times more likely to have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Just make sure not to overwhelm yourself with activities to the point where you don’t have time to do schoolwork. Clubs that meet monthly are ideal when you are interested in multiple clubs and are usually low commitment.
As you can see, extracurriculars are more than just something to add to the resume; they are big brain boosters! The next time you see signups for an extracurricular you are unsure about, think about how it could alleviate stress, build confidence, improve grades, and help create more school friendships.
Sign up and experience all these great memories for yourself!