“The benefits to your physical, neurological and mental health are huge!”
“Think what makes you happiest when it comes to a hobby, and integrate it into your daily life whenever you’ve time”
“Love model-making? Find a group nearby – you’ll be surprised how many clubs and societies there are you can join, making new friends while doing what you love in the process”
“Getting out into the open air is also a great way to be creative and socialise, joining groups to walk, discover local towns and cities, and even taking up a new exercise”
Facts/stats
Having a hobby can help you manage negative emotions, anxiety and stress
(The Brain Charity)
People who speak more than one language develop a better memory, talent for problem-solving, ability to concentrate, and tend to be creative than people who speak only one
(Language Connects Foundation)
Look all around you and you’ll see people being creative in hundreds of different ways. A singer busking on the street; a barista making that incredible cup of coffee with amazing patterns of froth on the top; a comedian at your local comedy club making you and you best friends laugh. From being creative in your job to just having a talent for something you love or enjoy doing, the rewards that come with creativity are endless, from helping problem-solve and better communication, to encouraging adaptability and strengthening connections with those around you. But what if you feel you haven’t found your niche when it comes to being creative? The answer is you don’t need a niche – just take your pick from one of these suggestions below…
WHY BE CREATIVE?
Where do we start – the benefits to your physical, neurological and mental health are huge! For a start, being creative actually boosts your immune system, which has been proven in a number of incredible studies. Listening to music can improve your heart rate, motor skills and brain stimulation; writing has been shown to manage chronic pain; and singing can help people with asthma and COPD. New research also shows that being more creative is linked with greater longevity because of the ways in which inventiveness helps us adapt to our environment. Then there are the mental effects looking after your creative side has, from it reducing stress and promoting well-being, to even making you smarter – people who play instruments have been shown to have a better balance between the left and right side of their brain. Creativity even has benefits for those suffering from dementia, reducing depression and isolation and giving them the power of choice and decisions. Ready to get creative? There’s plenty of ways you can that you might not even have considered…
SKILL SET
One way to become more creative is to think about taking up a new skill, to help you gain new experiences, train your brain to handle a wide range of challenges, and also keep your neural pathways active. A skill differs from a hobby in that you have to train yourself to do it, so it’s best to first have a proper think about what you’d like to learn – as well as the reason for doing so. Want to travel overseas to a particular destination, perhaps even going there more than once? Learn the language of that particular country – not only will it benefit you by being able to converse with people there, but you’ll improve your memory and even potentially delay the onset of dementia and other mental health conditions by four to five years. Taking up photography
can be equally as beneficial, boosting memory and decision-making; while learning how to play an instrument has also been shown to keep the brain healthy in older age, sustaining good memory and the ability to solve complex tasks.
HOBBY… CRAFT
Whereas a skill is something you learn, a hobby can be anything you enjoy doing – and is just as beneficial when it comes to your mind, giving you better health, happiness, and life satisfaction. Plus, if your hobby involves physical activity, you could also see yourself benefiting from lower blood pressure, a smaller waist circumference, and lower BMI in the process. It’s therefore time to think what makes you happiest when it comes to a hobby, and integrate it into your daily life whenever you’ve time. Drawing or painting is great for memory and reduces stress; knitting can reduce a feeling of loneliness and isolation, and gardening can also help reduce the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease and other musculoskeletal conditions. Love to dance? Go for it – any sort of dancing helps to prevent falls in the UK population, which currently costs the NHS £2.3billion a year.
FRIENDS REUNITED
Staying social and connected to your friends and family is another great way you can get creative, getting together to enjoy a task you all particularly enjoy. We all need to eat, so for a start why not diarise a weekly Come Dine with Me-style cook off, with you each making a starter, main course and dessert for you all to enjoy once a week? Not only will it be a great confidence-booster, but this type of creative activity also gives you a feeling of empowerment, helping you calm your mind by shifting focus away from worrying thoughts. Love model-making? Find a group nearby – you’ll be surprised how many clubs and societies there are you can join, making new friends while doing what you love in the process. Getting out into the open air is also a great way to be creative and socialise, joining groups to walk, discover local towns and cities, and even taking up a new exercise. By maintaining existing ties – and making new ones – through these meaningful social activities can also help maintain your thinking skills better in later life and slow down cognitive decline.
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU
Ever thought being creative can actually begin with being bored? That’s right – by embracing boredom it actually allows your brain the opportunity to wander, exploring new ideas, seeking out new perspectives and encouraging you to learn new things. What’s more, moderate levels of boredom make you more likely to engage in creative thinking and problem-solving. So, the next time you feel bored, stop and think about the reasons why, resisting the urge to just get up and do anything and instead letting your mind have some much-needed breathing space to do its own thing. Alternatively, use that time when you feel bored to write creative ideas and thoughts down you want to achieve in the future, regardless of how silly they might seem at the time. By setting yourself these goals – and writing them down on paper, can also help to regulate your emotions and actually change your brain chemistry so that you feel happier.