A fix for mixed emotions
- Vicky Lord
- Oct 10, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 22, 2019
It is Mental Health Awareness Week (8-14th October, 2018), with a vision to 'strengthen your wellbeing', so what better time to take a look at the roll creativity plays in our mental health.
When we hear the words mental health (and we're hearing these two words with increased frequency), most of us jump straight to illnesses and conditions such as depression, anxiety disorder, addiction and the like. And whilst there are a significant number of people in our communities who are affected either by personal diagnosis or through support for a loved one, mental health is something that every human being needs to dedicate time and energy towards, not just those who have sought help from a specialist. Just as we consider the foods we fuel ourselves with, and exercise we do to build strength and the social connections we maintain, our mental wellbeing is not something to take for granted, nor is it something that will take care of itself.
Mental health is complex. But one thing that is clear is NZ’s poor statistics when it comes to mental illness and substance abuse. As a nation, with a relatively small population we feature at the upper end on many of the World Health Organisations research results And this prevalence of mental illness is something we need to take seriously. Each and every one of us, for ourselves and for our children.
To be a mentally fit, content human being we need to feed our emotional control centre (the brain) a variety of inputs.
We need more:
Hydration, healthy food and fresh air. New opportunities, a chance to learn and broaden our perspectives. Love, kindness and connection with others.
We need less:
Processed food and long days spent inside. Repetitive behaviours and strict routines that minimise the opportunity for spontaneity. Screen time and social pressure – a view of the world through pixels, layers and the ‘highlights reel’ of influencers is not a view of the world at all.
There is no magic pill or quick fix, one size fits all solution. But there are many simple, free or virtually free, and effective things we can do each day to strengthen our mental wellbeing.
And one that I’m particularly passionate about is daily engagement in creativity.
Doing something creative has incredible power when it comes to our emotional wellbeing.
Being creative allows you to switch gears. Feeding your brain diverse stimuli, with a whole-brain thinking approach (combining right-brain imagination and left-brain logic), you’re better placed to reframe thinking, gain new insights and incubate new ideas.
Personally, I try not to let a day go by without doing something creative. #creativityeveryday Some days this is hard, and my output maybe small or fleeting. Other days I'll make it into my studio to create. But whether it is a rock cairn or drawing in the sand, paint brush to canvas or pencil in notebook, I know that on the days I've participated in a creative pursuit I feel both energised and calm. I guess this is the state of true expression and the knowledge I've been in tune with my emotions. Before I started being creative every day, I often found myself muddled, distracted and unsettled. For me, daily creative engagement has improved wellbeing, productivity and innovation capacity.
When I think about mental wellbeing I'm guided by five C's:
Creativity / Collaboration / Connection / Clarity / Change
And I'm passionate about the power of creativity to cultivate change for others, just as it has for me. I'm using my passion, experience and energy to share this with others through facilitated creativity workshops. MAKE YOUR MARK – fun, highly interactive creativity workshops to empower and inspire.
This year Mental Health Awareness Week has given us five ways to nurture our mental wellbeing:
Connect / Keep learning / Take notice / Be active / Give
I've engaged thus far with their photo challenge and enjoyed the thoughtfulness it has encouraged.
I also like that these five themes fit with and extend on my five C’s, creating a robust framework for nurturing my mental wellbeing.
This week, and going forward, I encourage you to take time to 'strengthen your wellbeing' with a holistic view and by engaging creatively. Be it with music, art, dance or craft. Get outdoors and use natural materials to construct a sculpture (Google the work of Andy Goldsworthy for inspiration), switch off your device and pick up a pencil, look up at the clouds and make shapes, read poetry aloud if it makes your heart sing.
Be creative every day, and see how it makes you feel.
If you want to know more, then here are some links that you may find interesting or helpful:
There are many statistics that point to our reliance on devices, gaming and social media as a significant contributor to decreased mental wellbeing.
Numerous studies are being conducted to prove the link between nutrition and gut health with increased mental wellbeing.
Creativity can boost your wellbeing and significantly help with post trauma healing.
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