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How Being Creative Is Good For Your Health 

It is so easy to forget to look after ourselves when we are looking after others. Life is so busy that our own health and welfare can easily take a backseat, and in the end, that can have a detrimental effect on our lives. So it is important to keep as healthy as possible and to look after your own body and mind. One way to do this is to have a creative hobby or even a job that incorporates creativity. Here are the reasons why this is important.  

Stress Relief 

The more stressed out you are, the more likely it is you will develop other conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure (which increases your risk of stroke), and obesity amongst other dangerous diseases. Relieving stress in your life is essential, and one way to do this is to enjoy some creative time. You can do anything you enjoy, such as painting, writing, journaling, or if you have to work, you could try making your own creative advertising posters and flyers for your business. Any of these activities – and plenty more – will reduce your stress levels, making you feel happier, healthier, and more productive. 

Increased Brain Function 

Being creative makes use of our brains in ways that our everyday activities generally don’t, and that’s crucial to staying healthy. By using as much of the brain as possible, we strengthen it, much like working out all muscle groups would do. You wouldn’t focus solely on your legs and forget your arms when building muscle, so don’t focus only on one aspect of the brain either. Creativity in life is just as important as what might be termed more ‘serious’ activities (although creativity can be just as serious, even when you’re having fun with it).  

The healthier your brain, the easier it is for it to repair itself after an illness; studies have begun to show that those who dabble in creativity have a smaller chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease, for example (more on this later). Your brain will also be able to send messages around your body more quickly, promoting healing all over as well. 

Mood Enhancing 

Everyone feels down every now and then, especially when there is a lot going on in their life or you have been through something upsetting or worrying. Creativity can help to lift your mood, even if you don’t think it can. Just by doodling a sketch, coloring in some pre-drawn images, building something out of Lego, or writing a poem (or anything else that comes to mind, of course), you can feel a lot better. Although studies are still ongoing as to exactly why this is the case, theories suggest that being creative releases more dopamine hormone into your bloodstream, which is a mood enhancer. Creativity also requires concentration, which means you won’t be thinking about whatever it is that is upsetting you for the duration of your project. 

 

Better Social Life 

Even if your chosen creative activity is generally a solitary one, it can still bring you a new and exciting social life, and hanging out with friends has been proven to be good for your health. You might join online forums or groups to discuss your particular art form, or you could join in with local groups and meet up from time to time, whether that’s to paint a picture, discuss a book, or show off your collection of custom mini figs. Either option is great for boosting your health and making you feel happy. 

You Might Benefit From A Flow State

Have you ever been so absorbed in an activity—whether it be journaling, making postcards from your most recent photographs, or dancing to your favorite band—that you forgot to eat, sleep, or check the time? This is described as being in a flow state. Focused attention is the state of paying one’s full attention to a single thing. Often it is considered being in the zone. 

This is a fantastic and frequently euphoric mental place to be. In this state, we are more mindful and calm. This makes it possible for us to feel better and gives us a sense of accomplishment. Those who regularly experience flow state report greater inspiration, fulfillment, and productivity in their lives. 

It Can Help To Slow Alzheimer’s 

As we get older, our brains can start to lose their function and go into what is known as cognitive decline. This can lead to conditions such as Alzheimer’s. Although we still don’t know quite what triggers this illness, we do know that keeping the brain active, and creative pursuits in particular, can slow down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.  

Of course, this in itself isn’t enough, and you’ll also need to make sure you are physically active and have a generally healthy lifestyle that includes enough sleep.