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 back seat, 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 creating advertising using flyer templates 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. 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 your 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, colouring in some pre-drawn images, building something out of Lego or writing a poem, 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. Either option is great for boosting your health and making you feel happy.
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