Research teaches us that getting creative is good for our mental and physical health.  It has been shown to increase self-confidence, decrease our stress levels, decrease risks of burn out and depression to name but a few. Why is this important?

As psychologists we are now seeing an increase in stress and burnt out in adults. In fact, we are also seeing it happen at a younger age in teenagers and children who are finding it harder to cope with all the pressures they are increasingly under.

We have all felt this pressure from our instant result action driven society. We have forgotten the equal need for joy, creativity and place too much emphasis on the logical parts of our brains.

Creativity is as important as academia, business and productivity.

If you need any excuse to adjust your thinking towards getting creative then I can assure you that it is vital for business and productivity too. Studies are now showing us that creativity does help with:

1. Thinking outside the box.
2. Creation of original ideas and content. Which we as a society are going to need more and more into the future if we as a society and in business are to succeed.
3. It also improves leadership skills, flexibility and reaction times.
4. Boosts productivity.

Creativity And Our Mental And Physical Health.

We can use creativity to increase our self-confidence, reduce our stress levels and create a better life/work balance for ourselves. It can also cut our chances of getting depression, chronic illness and can be used to empower us. It is also possible that it may reduce our chances of getting Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia in old age.

Yes, creativity does and can do all that. It is that important to not only our mental health but also our physical health. Stress as I said is becoming an increasing problem in our society. We need ways in which to create a better life/work balance and reduce our stress levels.

Remember the saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?” Well, it does more than that, it makes him stressed out, burnt out, probably heading towards all sorts of mental health and physical health problems.

We know that depression and anxiety are also on the rise. Plus these are causing more problems in terms of physical health than most other physical health ailments. Getting your life/work balance is so important, notice I use the term life/work balance not the work/life balance. That’s a big hint for any of you who think work comes first.

At the end of the day, work won’t be there on your death-bed, family and friends will and all the love they have for you. So if my hint about using creativity for better work productivity didn’t help maybe this one will.

Wouldn’t we all like to teach our children better life/work balance? Connecting with them through creativity can help us do just that. Plus during the school holidays provides us with more time to do just that.

Using Creativity To Connect With Your Child.

Research shows us that getting creative involves so many disciplines. These include art, music, writing, sports, card and board games, cooking, gardening, in fact so many of our hobbies and interests.

Most of all creativity allows us to step away from our stressful and ever increasing busy lives for a short time. It allows us to lose ourselves in our chosen activity and become mindful of what we are doing in just that moment.

Remember when we use connection and creativity together we can build memories and teach life skills. Plus we help our child learn so many other valuable skills. These include:

1. Creating a healthy sense of secure attachment.
2. Promote healthy mental and emotional development.
3. We teach them how to communicate effectively and use self-expression.
4. They can learn good problem solving and critical thinking skills which will translate beyond what they are doing.
5. They learn how to relax, play, daydream, have some fun and be more mindfully present.

Ideas To Try To Build Connections With Your Child.

Let them daydream.

Just let them sit and allow their minds to wander. So many brilliant ideas have come from people who daydream. Visualization is a form of daydreaming. You can join in too and it’s great for some quiet time. You can add music, a scented candle or a book to get lost in as well. There’s no harm in getting lost in some positive daydreams. In fact I’d say it’s vital.

Allow them to play and join in.

It’s always a good excuse to play with their toys too. Get down to their level and let your inner child connect with them. You could try:

1. Scavenger hunts and these can be done indoors or outside.
2. Dress up and act out a story.
3. Get out in nature and learn about the world around them through exploration.
4. Playing with Lego or other toys.
5. Skipping, hop scotch, tennis, or other outdoor games all for fun.
6. Play some quiet games like hangman, noughts and crosses, Bingo, etc.
7. Make some of the chores into a game, first one to finish wins for instance or picks the movie for that evening.

Use music and singing.

Yes, I know, I can hear some of you going “No Way I can’t sing!” But you see you don’t have to get up and suddenly start singing in front of other adults. It’s just you and the kids. It’s all about having some fun and laughing along with them, even if they are laughing at you.

You can use the radio while you do chores or sing along to their CD’s or playlists. You can do it while traveling in your car. Get those Disney soundtracks out and have some fun. Try musical chairs or musical hide and seek. If you are not up for singing then dance around the room either.

Use cooking to connect with them.

Cooking and baking are not only a great way to connect with our child but also we are teaching them life skills. They also learn how to be more focused, improves their fine motor skills, math, reading and science skills. Plus it promotes healthy eating.

You can create many positive memories for them also. So dust off that old recipe book or check out some children’s cookbooks in your local library or online.

Connect through their hobbies and interests.

Make time to talk with them about their hobbies and interests. Whether that’s an interest in the arts, music, sports, TV, etc. Even if you have no interest in these things you are building your connection with your child by allowing them to talk about their interests. This will allow them to relax also and give you an opportunity to talk to them.

Use some storytelling.

We all love a good story no matter how old we get. You can begin telling them stories from the time they are born. Even older child will listen while you tell younger ones a story. Make up your own version of some traditional tales, add in some voices, or encourage them to add their ideas to the story.

Encourage them to write their own stories also and listen to them read. Audio books are another way to tell a story or allow it to play in the background while you do a chore. Tell them stories about your childhood and memories of other family members are another way to build a connection.

The obvious one to use is art.

Not all of us feel we are artists. But park those perfectionist thoughts or memories of the art teacher. Art is subjective and whatever we create is okay here. You can try finger painting, clay, photography, collages, blow art, string, pasta, colouring books, etc. Check out YouTube for some ideas also.

Don’t be afraid to try a number of things until you find what suits you and your child. You’ll also find that it gets all of you out of your routine and perhaps your home.

On a final note remember thought to please try something different. So if say knitting or artwork is already something one of you does try something else. Or allow the child to teach you some they know or learnt in school. Remember stepping outside of our comfort zone, even just a small bit, is good for us.

Work With Me.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.