Wellness does not only refer to a persons physical state, but their mental state as well. The two are intertwined, your mental state can effect your physical and your physical state can effect your mental. Making healthy choices for not only your body, but your mind too will overall improve your well-being. Art Therapy does both! When we are sick or stressed we tend to neglect our emotional health so, it is important to continue to keep this in mind and take care of ourselves. Its all about healthy habits and positivity. Your wellness includes, emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions.
The process of Art Therapy itself improves ones physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, spiritual and mental well-being. Which Being able to recognize your body's need for physical activity, nutrition, amount of sleep will benefit your physical health which also effects your overall wellness. Art making enhances physical activity and brain functioning. Any Therapy enables clients to have healthy coping skills, but the creative therapies focus on this more by giving clients an outlet to make sense of their emotions. Art Therapy allows for growth in the social deminision because the art making process allows individuals to communicate through their art comfortably with their therapist. These dimensions create healthy and satisfying relationships which are definitely a major part of a persons wellness. Creating art also helps a person intellectually by allowing them to get in touch with their creative self and allows them to find ways to expand what they know while also creating new skills. Art Therapy sessions should be pleasant and stimulating. A session can be done almost any where that bring the client peace. Healthy environments support a persons well-being and can bring them happiness. Art Therapy often brings meaning to a persons life and gives them a new sense of self purpose. This is the spiritual dimension. All of the dimensions I have discussed can only be improved if you are avidly trying to better your overall wellness. You must want to improve yourself. Participating in Art Therapy has done this for me by giving me healthy skills, connecting me with my emotions, giving me a sense of belonging and purpose, and most importantly to me, making me a more positive person. Now, I am not telling the people reading this that the only way to improve these areas is with Art Therapy, because it is not the only way. The key is to find creative outlets that work for you and improve your wellbeing. This works for me and covers so may of the dimensions and thats why I truly believe in it.
