With shelter-in-place protocols, people are looking for ways to spend the abundant time they have on their hands. Some became more physically active, while others worked to build their portfolios through attending online classes and courses. All of these are great ways to cope with the pandemic.
Pursuing your creative desires this time seems a bit futile in a time such as now. However, there are actually benefits to rekindling your creative passions. If you feel the need to express yourself through creative means, perhaps this is the best time to do so.
Like working out or exercising, being creative also have benefits on people’s well-being. Generally, doing anything creative greatly improves one’s mental and physical health.
Boosts Happiness
Doing creative things, be it through different means, actually makes people more focused. Being fully immersed in any creative pursuits can make anyone feel completely lost in time and space. For a moment, it allows people to become unaware of the ongoing chaos around them. Through working and focusing on creativity, the brain is stimulated. Our body releases dopamine, a chemical that enhances and triggers happiness. Its effect boosts your motivation and allows you to focus on the tasks that need to be done.
Trains Mind to Focus
Aside from the feeling of ecstasy, being immersed in doing creative things can make you feel more grounded and balanced. If you dedicate a portion of your day to creating art or learning music, it trains your mind to focus on a single thing at a specific time. Our minds tend to wander and process thoughts all at once. By being focused on creative activities, makes people less susceptible to over-thinking. This is great for people with anxiety and tendencies to over-think.
Whatever medium you want, you think of how you can embrace your self-expression through your art or any kind of creative pursuit that you’d like to explore. Some activities that you can try are painting, coloring, embroidery, origami, and even handicrafts.
Example of Activities
For artists or any person who just likes to express themselves through the arts, drawing is one of the primary ways to explore your creativity. Some people enjoy sketching profiles; others enjoy drawing landscapes and scenery. Other people like to just doodle. All of these are ways to express oneself through drawing. This activity greatly improves holistic development. It enhances focus and alleviates stress. It also improves one’s mood. Through sketching, you can channel your emotions so you can better manage them.
Writing is also an underrated creative pursuit. Whether you like to journal or write short stories or poems, writing improves communication skills and thought organization. It allows you to zero in on your thoughts.
Handicrafts
One of the most enjoyable activities that most people have forgotten because of avid digitalization is handicrafts. It’s time to go back and explore this again, especially during the pandemic. People have stayed home most of the time. It is perfect timing to rummage your home to find some knickknacks. Collect old photos and make a scrapbook. If you are looking for more ways to decorate your scrapbook and be more adventurous with it, you may want to have a scrapbook kit. This is perfect, especially for those who are just starting with scrapbooking and designing. This a great activity to bond with your family. It builds connection and allows family members to bond.
Learning to Play Instruments
Other than visual arts, music can also help. Learning an instrument or two can actually make you smarter. Learning music is actually in the realm of both the left and right brain. Because learning covers both creative and motor skills, this connection exercises both sides of the brain. With that kind of connection between your left and right brain, coordination and communication between them improve.
All of these activities help in one’s creativity. People who are more inclined to participate in creative works are more focused and generally happier. When you feel a sudden rush of happiness or excitement after these activities, it is your body telling you that you have experienced something good. It is not just happiness out of doing something interesting for you. There is actually a scientific explanation why you feel that way after painting or playing an instrument. Especially in the time of the pandemic, coping with stress is paramount for everyone’s sanity. This is the time to try and tap into your creative side and watch how it will help you become better mentally and physically.