Creativity Improves Wellbeing
A hospital in London has decided to decorate its walls to encourage wellbeing for its patients. Imagine, having white plain walls through out the hospital. No colour, no imagination. Just boring white walls. Some colour, some images and some creativity will improve your mode and it'll get you thinking.
Dr Emma Whicher, medical director of south west London and St George’s NHS trust, meanwhile, recognises that “creativity improves wellbeing”. She explains that recovery goals, whether meaningful activity or making friends, are key for service users in managing their mental health problems. Although Whicher recognises there is no large body of evidence yet to support that, Harrison looked at the impact of multi sensory environments on emotions as part of her work for an MBA. She says: “It was quite clear that art and the environment is really important and if you have the right sensory stimulation, then it can improve how you feel.”
She adds: “I think a lot of us in the NHS are quite pressured and it’s quite easy to become stressed and anxious and when you do that, thinking becomes more concrete and you become more irritable. You go over that optimal functioning so I think having art and beautiful things to look at to challenge your senses is really important for everyone.”