Creativity and Wellbeing Week – Tips and Tricks to Support Your Mind

To celebrate the Creativity and Wellbeing week, which takes place from 16th – 22nd May, Sophie Jones, one of our Cohort 3 Kickstarters, researched tips and suggestions for you to support your mind.

After a series of lockdowns over the last three years, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, worried and stressed, and for your brain to be a bit frazzled!

Recently there has been growing recognition of the impact arts and cultural projects can have on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Engaging in arts and other creative activities can be a therapeutic way to help all of us escape to another world.

Often it can be challenging to take a step back, with many feeling guilty for taking a bit of time out of their day, but doing good for your mind doesn’t need to take up a lot of time.

Below are five small things that we think can help give your wellbeing a lift: 

• Exercise and fresh air

Physical activity has a huge potential to enhance our wellbeing, even if it’s just a short 10-minute walk, and can massively increase energy, mental alertness and mood. Exercise releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood, as well as help to increase self-esteem and help reduce stress, anxiety and loneliness.    

• Connecting with other people  

Having good relationships with others is important for your mental wellbeing, helping you to build a sense of belonging as well as providing emotional support for yourself and others. Whether you’re popping someone a text, picking up the phone, or meeting for a coffee, connecting with others does more to help your wellbeing than you may realise. 

• Learning new skills

You may feel demotivated or that you haven’t got the time to learn new skills, but it can be as simple as trying a new healthy cooking recipe, working on a small DIY project, or gardening. Trying something new can be an amazing way to get out of your own head and escape into your own therapeutic world, building confidence to take on new challenges.  

• Giving to others 

Research suggests that random acts of kindness can help improve your mood, and you never know, you might just make someone else’s day! Some examples of this include; saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you, asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer, spending time with friends or relatives who need support or volunteering in your community.  

• Creating some art 

There’s no such thing as bad art! Picking up a pencil or paintbrush, putting your favourite music on and just exploring something creative can be so beneficial with boosting confidence, making us feel more engaged and resilient, refreshing our bodies and minds. Creativity is such a fantastic way to express trapped emotions, gain a greater understanding of who you are and listening to your body. It’s a safe way to be authentically you without using words. The arts can help you understand who you really are.

Back in April 2020, we shared some top tips to boost your wellbeing during lockdown – even though the lockdowns now seem so long ago, our top tips are still just as relevant and you can read them by clicking here.

If you have any top tips for wellness and creativity, pop us a message on social media – we’d love to hear! 

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Health and Wellbeing Mental Health and Wellbeing Week Wellbeing Young people's blogs Youth Voice