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

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Andy Grammer has made it a priority to focus on his mental health.

The musician, 38, talked to PEOPLE about taking care of his psychological health after "a really tough" time amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic "was so rough for me that it forced me to get into therapy," Grammer tells PEOPLE exclusively. "Breaking through that for myself [helped me realize] how not big of a deal it is, and how totally cool it is to help yourself and your mental health."

He recognizes that some people are hesitant to give therapy a try." For me, it's this idea of, we don't want to feel broken, or we don't want to feel less than, but news flash — everyone's broken, everybody," he continues. "No one's doing perfect. We all need help in some ways."

It's also a method of self-awareness: "There's just no shame in learning yourself, self-mastering, getting into the reasons of why you do things you do, and getting practical tips on what you can do with yourself to get yourself out, if you're in a funk," Grammer adds. "We should all be working on ourselves."

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For Grammer, going to therapy is something he describes as being "just so practical," and exactly what he needed when the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered his usual routine.

"My favorite thing is to be around thousands of people every night," he explains. "When that got taken away, there was a lot of silence with myself. I didn't really like that. It made me very anxious and uncomfortable."

"When I got into therapy, I started getting into some of my deep work that everybody's got to do," the "Keep Your Head Up" singer says. "It's just good maintenance. I go to a great therapist, and I've been going every week for about two years, and I really, really love it."

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

"There's still a lot of ground to be covered as far as not feeling less than if you get 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 push through" his own struggles, Grammer realized that "it doesn't have to be like that."

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Currently the No. 1 artist streaming globally in the "Happy" category on Spotify — Grammer is lending his voice to a good cause and taking part in the Beyond the Sidelines fundraiser on Friday in Indianapolis.

Grammer will perform to benefit Kicking The Stigma, the Indianapolis Colts' initiative to raise awareness about 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. They can also make a general donation to Kicking the Stigma — which was first launched in 2020.

"I think there's a lot of people that see me as the happy guy, and so when I say the happy guy is depressed or was depressed, maybe that'll help some people jump in," Grammer says.