http://www.drawingsofleonardo.org/ I recently came across an article in the Huffington Post, by James Clear, which caught my attention as it alluded to the relationship between the healing power of art, and its connection to public health. Art used as therapy is not a new concept, and has long proven to be successful to help people overcome or cope with the likes of trauma, grief, depression, anxiety and chronic pain. But hold on - what does art have to do with public health?
Apparently quite a bit. It is well known that the arts can heal. This concept goes back to the age of DaVinci. According to an article published in the American Journal of Public Health in 20102, research has shown that being involved in the arts can “improve stress and anxiety” as well as “improve distress and negative emotions.” Engaging in the arts helps heal the mind and improve our mood, but more impressively, the physical act of being creative can boost dopamine levels and reduce cortisol levels. What does this mean for the general public? Happy people are generally healthier people. Less stress means fewer incidences of depression, heart disease, digestive problems, sleep issues and weight problems. A positive mindset can further increase our ability to concentrate, and improve critical thinking skills. Art is a beautiful thing. This is a win-win concept for creativity and health.
This article resonated with me on a personal level: I am a wife, a mom to three beautiful, busy, teenage children, and also a full time dietetic intern, and, YES, this life is stressful! I am stretched beyond ways I ever imagined, and I wish for more time in my day and I wish my kids would embrace my healthy eating strategies, but that doesn’t stop me from achieving my ultimate goal – to be a Registered Dietitian. Being healthy is a concept that I believe is especially important to all of us. We are, as dietetic interns, holy invested in the idea of eating to be healthy. But what are we doing to maintain our overall well-being? We are so fixated on learning, gaining knowledge and striving to know more, that we forget to absorb the simplicity of the beauty that is around us.
During orientation we learned to embrace the mantra, “Do Something Every Day.” This concept was developed to help the new student stay on the dietetic track: keep up with the daily demands, try not to fall behind with the stresses of daily life, work, the internship, coursework, projects and competiveness, and most of all, stay on top by doing SOMETHING to keep up every day. I would like to take this mantra one step further, and suggest that we add, “Do Something Creative Every Day.”
I do not in any way wish to insinuate that you need to do MORE during this internship. I simply wish to imply that you do more of that which makes you happy. What do you like to do? What makes you happy? What is your creative outlet? Life can become overwhelming if we let it take over our focus and goals. I challenge you to get up, unplug and find creativity. Be productive. Make something. We can be book smart and preach to the choir what we have learned, but we will likely only see a change when we let the arts be our priority; and let life happen around our creativity and positivity. So go on, make dinner from scratch, dance like no one is watching, take a pretty picture, or hand craft a birthday card and send it to a friend. You will be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and a positive attitude that just might be contagious.
References:
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/make-more-art-the-health-benefits-of-creativity_b_8868802.html
2. Stuckey HL, Nobel J. The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature. American Journal of Public Health. 2010;100(2):254-263. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497.
Apparently quite a bit. It is well known that the arts can heal. This concept goes back to the age of DaVinci. According to an article published in the American Journal of Public Health in 20102, research has shown that being involved in the arts can “improve stress and anxiety” as well as “improve distress and negative emotions.” Engaging in the arts helps heal the mind and improve our mood, but more impressively, the physical act of being creative can boost dopamine levels and reduce cortisol levels. What does this mean for the general public? Happy people are generally healthier people. Less stress means fewer incidences of depression, heart disease, digestive problems, sleep issues and weight problems. A positive mindset can further increase our ability to concentrate, and improve critical thinking skills. Art is a beautiful thing. This is a win-win concept for creativity and health.
This article resonated with me on a personal level: I am a wife, a mom to three beautiful, busy, teenage children, and also a full time dietetic intern, and, YES, this life is stressful! I am stretched beyond ways I ever imagined, and I wish for more time in my day and I wish my kids would embrace my healthy eating strategies, but that doesn’t stop me from achieving my ultimate goal – to be a Registered Dietitian. Being healthy is a concept that I believe is especially important to all of us. We are, as dietetic interns, holy invested in the idea of eating to be healthy. But what are we doing to maintain our overall well-being? We are so fixated on learning, gaining knowledge and striving to know more, that we forget to absorb the simplicity of the beauty that is around us.
During orientation we learned to embrace the mantra, “Do Something Every Day.” This concept was developed to help the new student stay on the dietetic track: keep up with the daily demands, try not to fall behind with the stresses of daily life, work, the internship, coursework, projects and competiveness, and most of all, stay on top by doing SOMETHING to keep up every day. I would like to take this mantra one step further, and suggest that we add, “Do Something Creative Every Day.”
I do not in any way wish to insinuate that you need to do MORE during this internship. I simply wish to imply that you do more of that which makes you happy. What do you like to do? What makes you happy? What is your creative outlet? Life can become overwhelming if we let it take over our focus and goals. I challenge you to get up, unplug and find creativity. Be productive. Make something. We can be book smart and preach to the choir what we have learned, but we will likely only see a change when we let the arts be our priority; and let life happen around our creativity and positivity. So go on, make dinner from scratch, dance like no one is watching, take a pretty picture, or hand craft a birthday card and send it to a friend. You will be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and a positive attitude that just might be contagious.
References:
1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/make-more-art-the-health-benefits-of-creativity_b_8868802.html
2. Stuckey HL, Nobel J. The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature. American Journal of Public Health. 2010;100(2):254-263. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497.
