Having activities that fuel the Imagination and creativity in adults and kids can improve mental, emotional and physical health. Adults are less likely to use their creativity in their everyday life. A brain imaging study has shown that creativity alters the chemistry in our brain, improving mental and physical health.
There have been hundreds of studies regarding creativities effects on health. Creative activities such as music, dance, visual arts and writing are said to have the ability to heal the mind and body.
A study was done on thirty patients who were suffering from cancer and chronic illness. They were asked to perform activities that fired the imagination and creativity, such as painting, writing, performing music and other forms of art. They showed improvements in their mental and physical health. It also improved the emotional well-being of the patients.
There are a number of other health benefits that creativity brings. We have compiled a small list below.
Health Benefits of Creativity:
1. Positivity
– Creativity makes people feel less anxious, happier and more spirited. It also help develop a person’s ability to problem solve in instantaneous situations. Writing in a journal everyday can relieve tension in the body and improve our outlook on life. Creating music and dancing can boost the mood and improve brain activity.
2. Stress Reliever
– Stress of work/school can overcome us and consume a huge part of our life. Stress can lead to high blood pressure, respiratory infections, heart problems, increased sugar levels and weight gain. Creativity can help lower stress in our life, any form of creativity can help lessen stress, even by simply watching creativity at work. Watching a play, listening to music or even reading a book can relieve stress.
3. A Sense of Purpose
– Creativity and imagination brings a sense of purpose to people. Art/Creativity fills in the sense of barrenness in life and fills that hole of emptiness. Creativity lessens our need for materialistic and unnecessary things in life. It teaches how things can grow from simple creativity into something beautiful.
4. Negative Emotions
– Creativity can be used as an outlet for negative emotions. It can alter negativity into something positive. Using negativity in life for creative activities can help relieve pain and reduce the thoughts of illness. Just think some of the best paintings, books, music and art came from a place of negativity, and now they are considered some of the best creations.
5. Improves Immune System
– A study was done on patients with HIV, they were asked to do creative writing. They showed significant progress in cell production in the body, improving their immune system.
6. Therapeutic Effect
– Creativity has a strange ability to create calmness in the mind in body. It puts us in a state of serenity where we temporarily lose ourselves and forget the things that troubles us.
7. Reduce Indigestion and Inflammation
– Creativity increases the flow in our digestive organs and lessens the production of harmful chemicals in the body.
8. Increase in Memory
– Reading serious literature and poetry showed increased activity in the autobiographical memory part of the brain. Poetry and literature increase the ability of the brain to retain memory and languages.
There are physical, mental and emotional benefits of creativity. Learning to cultivate imagination can help quality of life. Try to use your creativity every day, write in a journal, draw, sculpt, read, knit, sew, and do anything that will encourage your creativity.
