I found an article about this very subject and within that article, they use the acronym O-P-E-R-A to explain what skills are enhanced when playing an instrument. The 'O' stands for overlap meaning that different parts of a musician's brain are used to play and produce music. The 'P' stands for precision which is used when a musician tunes his/her instrument as well as while listening to other musicians. 'E', 'R' and 'A' stand for emotion, repetition and attention. All of these skills are shown to be stronger in musicians compared to those who do not play an instrument.
Although sometimes I feel like putting my clarinet down and never playing it again, it is reassuring to know that there are benefits from playing an instrument that I use in other areas of my life. Do you play an instrument?