Interesting Ways To Improve Your Mental Health
This week on the blog we have a guest post by Kim Thomas.
MarieArtsEST2017 is where Marie shares her beautiful artwork and thoughts. Today’s thoughts center around several unconventional ways to improve your mental health when counseling can’t do it all.
Evaluate your career.
There’s a good chance that your job isn’t helping your mental health. If you dread going in each day, it might be time to go back to school to earn a degree so that you can change jobs without sacrificing your income. This deserves a look when you’re at your wit's end, but still need to work full time and take care of your family. Online programs are available – look for a program that’s accredited and affordable. One of the most popular online degrees is in accounting. An accounting degree can help you segue into a role as a CPA. Your classes will help you learn about taxes, business management, and more.
Sound healing.
Sound healing is the act of listening to music, playing instruments, or indulging in any other type of sound that sends vibrations through your body. The right type of sound healing can reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and even help you tap into your inner creativity.
Art.
Art has long been used to help people improve their mental health. When you sit down with your media of choice, whether it’s drawing, painting, or sculpting, you have a valuable opportunity to work out problems that live in your head. You’ll find a calming center within yourself, and you may even find that your creativity can help you earn an income.
Pet therapy.
Everybody loves a snugging puppy, kitty, or bunny. But did you know that animals can be good for your mental health? According to Thrive-works, pets can help alleviate depression, loneliness, and more. Before you jump headfirst into pet ownership, however, make sure that you are truly ready for the responsibilities. It can help to volunteer at your local animal shelter to see just how much work animals are.
Dance therapy.
Dancing is a creative outlet that releases tension, improves body awareness, and can help you promote self-expression through movement. Something else to consider with dance therapy if you’re also an artist is that the movements that you learn can help you better capture form when you sit down at your easel to create a fluid-movement painting, such as any of these.
Poetry writing.
Poetry writing is another form of art therapy that can help you express your emotions in a creative way. Through poetry, you can make up stories, and you can even illustrate your words with pictures to better get your feelings out of your head and onto the paper.
Nature-based art therapy.
Nature-based art therapy combines the benefits of nature with artistic expression to promote healing and well-being. This type of art involves engaging with the natural world while creating art or using materials found outside as part of the creative process.
Consider lucid dreaming.
While there’s not really scientific evidence to back this up, it’s possible to learn how to take control of your dreams. When you move into a state of lucidity while sleeping, you may be able to acknowledge your presence within a situation and change the outcome. Essentially, you control what happens in your dream state. The Sleep Foundation cautions, however, that lucid dreaming may be potentially disruptive, so consider speaking with a therapist before you begin.
Image by Pixels