| The link between health and creativity
By now many of us are aware of the link between happiness and health. Our bodies respond to happiness in the deepest areas of our being by producing healing chemicals and initiating a cycle of health that sustains us for long periods of time. But what about the smaller steps, the behaviors that actually lead to this happiness? The other day I was talking to a friend. She was concerned about the fact that her mother called her so frequently during the day. She said that there were days when she even called her up to four times a day complaining about trivial things. My friend resented the fact that her mother leaned on her so heavily but felt obligated to allow her mother the room to vent. My friend is a fashion designer and is quite talented so I asked her if her mother was creative as well. “My mom would not even know how to sew on a button”, she replied. I thought about my own mother. My mother is an extremely talented person and is always involved with one kind of creative project or another. She is quite happy much of the time with only occasional moments of sadness that she calls me or a friend to work through. It was then that it hit me what a strong link there is between creativity and happiness. It has been my experience that people that approach life in a more creative way tend to be happier. One of the things that these people create is happiness for themselves and others. The Encarta Dictionary defines creativity as “the ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things, especially in an artistic context.” Creativity does not necessarily mean that you are a painter, a sculptor or an Artist in a traditional sense however; it just means that you find ways to solve your problems that are unique and innovative. When one has a more creative approach to life they are less apt to feel like a victim of circumstance. People that believe themselves to be helpless are at risk of sinking into depression and may engage in behaviors like substance abuse or overeating to try to comfort themselves out of this state of mind. People that approach life creatively tend to not leave it to others to find their happiness for them. These people are empowered and empower others by trying different ways to solve problems until they find ones that achieve healthy results. Here’s the good news… we are all capable of creativity. Contrary to popular belief, thinking creatively is not the gift of a chosen few in this life, it is a method or pattern of thinking that can be emulated and is sometimes acquired out of necessity. We are all creative in certain aspects of our lives to lesser or greater degrees. When we take a deeper look at our own lives and in the ways that we are currently creative, we can learn to increase this skill and apply it to other areas of our lives as well. Below are some simple steps that you can do to start increasing the creativity in your life today. Write down 5 things in your life that are currently frustrating you. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. For each of the items on your list, ask yourself the following; 1. Who have I expected to change this situation for me, how can I change it myself? 2. In what way in this problem a blessing? 3. What can I learn from this experience? 4. What skills do I have to improve this situation? 5. What ideas can I come up with to improve things? For number 5, write a list of possibilities without rejecting any thoughts that arise no matter how silly some might seem to you. Broadening your mind is part of the creative process. You might even find yourself laughing at ideas that you think of! Repeat these steps with new frustrations that arise and watch your creativity, happiness and health increase in response. To find out more steps to increasing creativity in your life visit www.heartwork.com Written by Monica Yocom |