Andy Grammer Loves Therapy: ‘People See Me as the Happy Guy’ but ‘We All Need Help in Some Ways’

andy grammer has made it a priority to focus on your mental health.

The 38-year-old musician spoke to PEOPLE about taking care of his psychological health after a “very tough” time amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic “was so hard on me that it forced me to go into therapy,” Grammer tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Break that by myself [helped me realize] how unimportant it is and how great it is to help yourself and your mental health.”

He acknowledges that some people are hesitant to try therapy. “For me, it’s this idea that we don’t want to feel broken, or we don’t want to feel less than, but the breaking news: Everybody’s broken, everybody,” he continues. “No one is doing it perfectly. We all need help in some way.”

It is also a method of self-awareness: “There is simply no shame in learning yourself, mastering yourself, knowing the reasons why you do the things you do and getting practical advice on what you can do with yourself to get ahead.” if you’re depressed,” adds Grammer. “We should all be working on ourselves.”

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For Grammer, going to therapy is something he describes as “very practical” and exactly what he needed when the COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered his usual routine.

“What I like the most is being surrounded by thousands of people every night,” he explains. “When they took that away from me, there was a lot of silence with myself. I really didn’t like that. It made me very anxious and uncomfortable.”

“When I entered therapy, I started to get involved in some of my deep work that everyone needs to do,” says the “Keep Your Head Up” singer. “It’s just good maintenance. I go to a great therapist, and I’ve been going every week for about two years now, and I really love it.”

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Grammer is also aware of the stigma surrounding mental health, especially when it comes to men.

“There’s still a lot of ground to cover in terms of not feeling less than if you’re getting help, especially when it comes to something invisible like your brain,” he details. “I think a lot of men don’t want to feel weak.”

Detailing that he once thought he could “just get over” his own struggles, Grammer realized “it doesn’t have to be that way.”

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Currently the #1 streaming artist globally in the “Happy” category on Spotify – Grammer is lending his voice to a good cause and participating in the Beyond the side lines fundraiser Friday in Indianapolis.

Grammer will perform for the benefit kicking the stigmathe Indianapolis Colts initiative to raise awareness of mental health disorders.

Fans can bid on auction items, including autographed Colts memorabilia, exclusive experiences with current and former players and coaches, Colts gear and other gifts and opportunities. You can also make a general donation to Kicking the Stigma, which first launched in 2020.

“I think there are a lot of people who see me as the happy guy, and when I say the happy guy is depressed or was depressed, maybe that helps some people engage,” says Grammer.