Evidence continues to mount linking creativity and compassion to general wellness. The data tells us that creativity reduces stress and anxiety, increases positive emotions, decreases depression symptoms, boosts immune system effectiveness, increases concentration and focus, and increases happiness.
While it’s wonderful to know that this is true, how much better would it be to know why this is true?!?
In my opinion, the why behind the what is due to three impressive biochemical actors. This is the story of the Hormone, the Neuropeptide, and the Neurotransmitter.
When creative people engage in their preferred activities, they are, for the most part, doing something they love to do. In fact, the more they do things for the sheer love of doing them, the greater their sense of satisfaction and joy. These feelings lead us to our first actor, Cortisol, the Hormone.
Cortisol is our fight or flight stress hormone, released in the face of a stressful event, and often absent in the face of joy. In days gone by, a stressful event might have been the act of running away from a bear or chasing your dinner. Although terrifically stressful, the physical activity that followed the stressful event did a lot to bring the body back into biochemical balance. In the 21st Century, cortisol is released in response to stressful events, but because very few of us are chasing our meals on foot or rushing a tree to avoid being eaten, these cortisol levels remain elevated, often setting the stage for chronic disease and weight gain. Because creative expression reduces stress, and stress can increase the probability of becoming susceptible to both acute and chronic disease by some ninety percent, I consider it a major benefactor to overall wellness. Practicing creativity and compassion directly increases our satisfaction and joy, which directly lowers cortisol levels, which reduces our susceptibility to disease.
Our second actor group, Endorphins, a Neuropeptide subcategory, are the direct result of laughing, exercising, listening to music, and other such positive activities. When engaging in activities that we love, such as creativity, or helping others as we do when we behave compassionately, we catalyze the release of this class of neuropeptides. These endogenous opioid neuropeptides create a “feel good sensation”. When under the influence of endorphins, we are less likely to turn to alcohol and other such addictive substances that are not health-promoting. These biochemicals actually enhance cardiovascular health and immune system strength.
And finally, the biggest player on stage is Dopamine, the Neurotransmitter. In creativity, the brain actually releases dopamine, a natural anti-depressant. Deficient levels of dopamine, are linked to depression, social phobia, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, and Parkinson’s Disease. Balancing our dopamine levels can support us in a plethora of brain and overall body functions too numerous to list in a blog post!
Expression is active, not passive. And Creative Expression is not limited to the arts. While creative expression obviously encompasses music, dance, and visual art, it doesn’t stop there. Every new idea or invention is the end result of creative self expression. Being creative is fundamental to being human. At Creative Care & Wellness Center, we believe in combining creativity with a compassionate spirit. Compassion towards self and working outward with compassion towards others is an act of love. Sharing love changes both the vessel and the recipient. Compassion positively changes the community both at the micro and macro levels.
We creatively and compassionately act by feeding our friends and families food that possesses a loving vibration, with gardening to positively impact our immediate environment, or with care taking animals to positively impact our community. The options for creative and compassionate expression are literally infinite.
At Creative Care & Wellness Center, we encourage acting locally as evidence of our global vantage point. We have a music education studio inside the wellness center to make learning to play and share music easily incorporated into one’s wellness protocol. We sponsor activities that provide alternatives for our community non-human animals and partner with local non-human animal rescues. We take our creative and compassionate activities into the local community.
In summary, Creative & Compassionate Expression directly reduces the probability of disease; it enhances cardiovascular health; it improves the strength of the immune system; and it supports and enhances overall brain health and mood by balancing stress hormones, raising endorphins levels, and regulating dopamine levels.
For more information on our workshops and holistic therapies, consider scheduling a Short Visit to discover how you can incorporate Creative & Compassionate Expression into your wellness protocol!
