From better nutrition to improved mental and physical health, the benefits of growing your own food are plentiful.

Whether you are growing a small pot of kitchen herbs or an allotment full of fresh fruits and vegetables, you’re doing good for both your own health, and the environment.

Here are our top five reasons to grow your own food:

Better nutritional benefits

Growing your own food is an excellent way to ensure that your diet is nutritious, healthy and full of variety. Growing a diversity of fresh foods gives you access to plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Raw foods are not just arguably one of the tastiest, but studies have also shown that they contain the most nutrients.¹ That’s not to say that cooking is bad though, as there are still plenty of health benefits to come from your food once you cook it – especially as it will be fresher as the time taken to get it from the ground to your plate will have been less than if you had bought it from a shop.

Better for the environment

As well as having less time for its nutritional value to start decreasing, foods that are home grown and haven’t had to undergo transportation are better for the environment and will not be impacting your carbon footprint.² Not only will you be reducing the reliance of fossil fuels for long distance transportation (it’s been estimated that an average of 1,500 miles is travelled before food is consumed)³ but you won’t be using chemicals or pesticides that can be bad for the environment.

Good for your physical health

You might not consider it to be the same as going for a long run, but growing your own food is actually a great way to stay fit and active! From digging to pulling up roots, to planting, weeding, watering and caring for your growing foods, gardening offers you a great physical workout that can help improve your cardiac strength, decrease stress and improve your strength and flexibility. Being outside will also expose you to Vitamin D, which has been proven to be crucial for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, as well as increasing your immunity against certain diseases.⁴

Great for mental wellbeing too

It’s not just your physical body that will thank you for growing your own food and gardening, but your mental health can benefit too. The simple act of getting exercise has been shown to relieve stress, depression and anxiety, as well as boost your energy.⁵

You can save money

The outlay might seem a bit more expensive than simply picking some salad up from the supermarket shelves, but once you are in an established routine, all you really need to grow your own food is time, patience and water. When you consider the higher costs of organic food, you can see that by growing your own, you will soon make back any money you spend on pots, soil etc. at the outset.

When growing your own foods, remember that variety is key. Don’t be afraid to try things you’ve not had before – particularly as you won’t be contributing to any increased pesticide usage or transportation costs to do so. Try to expose yourself to as many new and interesting fresh foods as you can, to contribute to a healthier you, and a healthier planet.

1. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf60202a021 [↩]
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344914002626 [↩]
3. https://cuesa.org/learn/how-far-does-your-food-travel-get-your-plate [↩]
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/ [↩]
5. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/Citation/1990/01000/Effect_of_Exercise_on_Depression.16.aspx [↩]

Every action has a consequence and this is even true in terms of how our diet affects those who will be born after us. 

The diet you eat today will affect the bodies and worlds of your children and grandchildren. From epigenetics to environmental sustainability, your own eating habits—for better or for worse—will influence generations to come.Internally diet affects our health. We all know that. But are you also aware that diet has been shown to affect us on a genetic level? DNA, the very basis of who we are and the genes we pass on to our children, is affected by diet. It makes sense that what we eat today will affect our children in the future.

Pregnant mothers are especially tasked with consuming a healthy diet because the nutrients they consume are sent directly to the foetus, but future fathers-to-be also have a less direct but equally important responsibility to their children. A man’s diet consumed even before having children has been shown to have an effect on his children after they are born. ¹

Eating well can affect multiple generations

Beginning in the 1930s, Dr. Francis M. Pottenger performed a 10-year-long study examining the effects of nutrition on cats through multiple generations. Dr. Pottenger’s ultimate results found that feeding cats a nutrient-poor diet resulted in nutritional damage after just one generation. After the third generation all the cats were unable to reproduce. Despite major differences in the metabolisms of cats and humans, we can clearly infer from his study that the quality of nutrition in one generation has powerful effects on not just one generation but possibly multiple ones.

Several studies have shown how healthy eating and wellbeing can be passed through the generations and how eating well can positively influence the health of babies. ²

The importance of a healthy diet

After they are born, our children and grandchildren will benefit from being exposed to a healthy diet. Children who are raised in homes where the family sits down and eats a healthy meal together on most nights are much more likely to practice the same healthy behaviour later in life.

They too will make healthy family meals a priority which in turn will be passed on to their own children.

From an external viewpoint, eating a healthy, environmentally conscious diet can affect the world future generations live in. Agriculture and farming have evolved rapidly since the end of World War II, when researchers discovered leftover nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (from explosives) made excellent fertilisers that produced enormous crop yields. Since then, selective breeding and genetic engineering have created agricultural practices far different from what our bodies and environment are used to.

Generation health and wellness

While huge agricultural corporations have taken up unsustainable practices in order to produce maximum profit, a counterculture has arisen that seeks to return to a more natural way of food production. Sustainable, organic, local farming does not use synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers.

Farmers often use ancient techniques for crop and field rotation that rely on natural replacement of soil nutrients that are more sustainable than repeatedly fertilising year after year.

Meats, fruits and vegetables from these sources tend to be a little more expensive. But due to the law of supply and demand, the more people who adopt such a diet, the lower these prices will become. The more people take an environmentally friendly approach to purchasing food, the more likely we are to give our children a healthy planet.

You are what you eat

We’ve all heard the saying that goes “You are what you eat.” Perhaps a more enlightened version would be to say, “You, your children and your grandchildren are what you eat.” Consuming a healthy diet cultivated from sustainable sources will affect the world and the health of generations to come. When you consider how closely healthy eating and wellbeing are linked, not just for you, but for those who will follow you, it’s another strong reason why we should all be concerned with what we put in our bodies.

1. Gunnar Kaati, Lars Olov Bygren, et al. “Transgenerational response to nutrition, early life circumstances and longevity.” European Journal of Human Genetics (2007) 15, 784–790; doi:10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201832 [↩]
2. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/7/2633 [↩]

Sustainable living, at its core, involves considering how our actions affect the environment around us and doing what we can to reduce our impact on the planet.

While the environmental impact of sustainable living is clear though, what you might not have realised is that sustainable living can also help to improve our own mental and physiological health.

There are clear links between sustainable living and our health and wellness – here are some of the ways that our own wellbeing can be enhanced by living a more sustainable lifestyle:

Physical wellbeing

Sustainable practises can not only benefit the environment but also our own physical health. For example, if you choose to walk or cycle rather than travel by car, you will not only be reducing the amount of pollution that goes into the atmosphere around you, but you’ll be increasing your own fitness levels in the process – having a positive impact on your carbon footprint and improving your physical health go side-by-side.

Of course, not everyone is able to walk or cycle. You may be situated too far from your end destination or your health may not permit you to travel in this way. If this is the case there are still other ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint and increase your own physical wellbeing at the same time. One of these is to start looking at your eating habits in more depth. Plant-based foods have a much lower carbon footprint than animal-based foods, so by filling up on nutritious fruits and vegetables as part of a more vegetarian focused diet you’ll not only be supporting the environment but you’ll be consuming foods rich in the minerals, vitamins and proteins that your body needs.

Social wellbeing

Working towards a sustainable lifestyle requires effort on a large social scale. You may find yourself sharing information and ideas with friends and family, volunteering and building connections in your local community. As you meet like-minded people with similar goals and interests your social circle and support network will naturally increase.

Mental wellbeing

Most of us will feel or experience stress at some point and studies have shown that one of the best ways to deal with stress is to get in touch with nature.¹ By maintaining the quality of our surrounding environment through sustainable living we’re ensuring that this nature is there for us to enjoy. You might choose to go on a country bike ride or enjoy a walk through the woods. You could even just take a picnic to a field and sit in the warm summer breeze. Why not consider camping for your next holiday? This too is a great way to truly experience nature at its best, with no reliance on electric, hotels, televisions or cars.

Environmental wellbeing

Environmental wellbeing involves being mindful and focused on the space surrounding you. It could be your work, home, school, or on a wider scale, the planet. Consider how your environment has an impact on your physical and mental health. Is there clutter in your environment that is gathering dust and causing you anxiety? Research has shown that clutter can cause stress, anxiety and distress.² Tidying up can literally result in a more healthy mental state. Many people who are trying to live a more sustainable life have also chosen to live a more minimalist lifestyle. By making choices to purchase only what you need you’ll be in a better position to enjoy a decluttered, stress-free environment.

Intellectual wellbeing

When it comes to sustainable living, ignorance is not bliss. By educating ourselves on the impact of our actions we’re able to more proactively lead a sustainable life. Putting in time and effort to read articles on sustainability will help promote your intellectual wellbeing. It will help you learn how to make informed decisions on a community and individual level and how to make changes that are positive for the environment around you. Some ways to make an impact through living more sustainably have been made easy for us, such as community recycling, and we just need to educate ourselves on using them.

Financial wellbeing

One of the most stressful things in life is worrying about money. Fortunately, many sustainable behaviours can help save you money. For example, making small changes in your home by fixing a leaky tap or placing draught excluders under the doors to reduce the need to have your heating on as much can save you money on your electric bills.

A huge part of sustainable living also involves not buying everything new. The obvious example would be clothes. Rather than going shopping every time you’d like a new outfit, you can see what is available in charity shops or could ask a friend to borrow some of their clothes. Another great way to have an impact is by reducing the amount of plastic you throw away. Before going out try to remember to fill a water bottle and take it with you so that you don’t have to buy a drink. This not only reduces the amount of plastic wastage, but also helps your pocket as you won’t need to spend as much on something basic like keeping hydrated.

Sustainable living can be applied to all of our lifestyle, as much or as little as we are comfortable with. While it might not feel like your individual actions will have much of an impact, if everyone makes even one small change, the wide-scale impact will be huge.

1. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-environ-012312-110838 [↩]
2. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-and-body [↩]

What is floral therapy and how does it benefit our wellbeing?

There are many practices that have received a lot of attention in recent years for their soothing effect on our minds and how that plays into a more robust wellbeing: Mindfulness. Nature. Aromatherapy. Aesthetic pleasure. Manual and craft therapy. Utilitarian art. Creative expression. But to do each of these things individually would take a lot of time and effort! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a concept that combined them all? Well, there is! It’s known as floral therapy—or flower mindfulness – but just what is floral therapy exactly?

How does floral therapy work?

Floral therapy can be a passive experience, simply involving lingering a little longer at a floral shop or in the flower section of the grocery store, or literally stopping to smell the flowers that you may pass in your garden or when you are out for a walk. It can also be a more hands-on experience of arranging and tending to flower bouquets. It truly is that simple.

What are the benefits of floral therapy?

Floral therapy helps us disconnect from our screens and our to-do lists. It helps us stay in the moment as we focus on a task that involves our hands and occupies our minds ‘just enough.’

Mindfulness can sometimes feel difficult. We may ask how we are to stop our minds from processing so many thoughts or when can we really take a half-hour break to sit and meditate. Meditation can also feel strange and uncomfortable if you are new to it and you simply might not want to do it.

Using nature as therapy

We’ve all heard of physicians in Japan prescribing “nature” to patients as a form of preventive or even therapeutic medicine. Or take the Scandinavian expression “There is no bad weather; only bad clothing” as a reference to the need to be in nature in every season. Some hospitals are creating wellness gardens for patients to visit. “Forest bathing” (a walk in the woods) has become popular. This is because nature soothes and nurtures us. It is undoubtedly good for our health!¹

That said, nature doesn’t have to be this distant place. There is this concept that nature is far away from us, that we have to travel far to get there. Instead, reframing the idea of nature to include small snippets of plants and flowers can make “nature bathing” a more easily accessible everyday practice. That is why floral therapy is so appealing—it is easy to do.

It’s all about flower power!

Let’s not forget how wonderful flowers smell. Have you ever walked down the street in early summer and passed a lavender bush or a jasmine vine? Or revelled in the smell of your Christmas tree when you first bring it home? That is because the scents of nature, particularly plants and flowers, help to release the feel-good chemicals in our brain. Part of the reason essential oils have become so popular is that they are a way to bring natural scents into our home and workspaces which help calm us.²

When you are arranging flowers or are at a flower shop or spending time in a flower garden, you are reaping the benefits of aromatherapy, simply by being there!

Beyond the wonderful smell, quite obviously flowers are gorgeous. Human beings are drawn to aesthetic beauty. We like to be visually pleased. People go on holiday and pay extra for a room with a view! We might spend hours at an art museum just to experience the beauty. We want our homes to look comfortable and feel visually pleasing. And obviously we like to make ourselves physically attractive by dressing nicely and taking care of our bodies, hair and skin. Looking at flowers and seeing the vibrant, bright colours or soothing ivories and whites is a pleasant experience.

Creativity through floral therapy

When we participate in flower arranging, we are using our hands. Many of us work in an occupation in which we are seated, looking at a screen and using our minds and social skills. However there is something to be said for using our hands to create something. Some people like to experiment with carpentry in their free time or perhaps see cooking as their manual therapy. Flower arranging is another way to not only make something with our hands, but to create something pleasurable and useful to our homes (or offices!).

We all need creativity in our lives. Perhaps you are a painter or maybe you like to play the piano. However many of us haven’t participated in something artistically creative since we were children in school. Floral therapy allows us to express some aesthetic creativity. First we pick the colours when we are buying or picking the flowers and foliage. Then we choose the right vase or glass for them. And finally we find ways to arrange them to showcase their textures, colours and shapes. It may sound simple, but floral therapy really might be the ultimate form of wellbeing.

1. Song, Chorong, et al. “Physiological Effects of Nature Therapy: A Review of the Research in Japan.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 13, no. 8, 2016, p. 781., doi:10.3390/ijerph13080781 [↩]
2. Cho, Mi-Yeon, et al. “Effects of Aromatherapy on the Anxiety, Vital Signs, and Sleep Quality of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Patients in Intensive Care Units.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Feb. 2013, pp. 1–6., doi:10.1155/2013/381381 [↩]

Why gardening is good for you and how to reap its rewards

Some people love gardening and view it as an enjoyable hobby. Others see it as a necessary chore. Whatever your viewpoint though, part-time or avid gardeners will be pleased to know that gardening and wellbeing are very closely related! Whether it’s by presenting the opportunity of escaping the white, grey and darkness of winter or the enjoyment at watching seeds and bulbs that you’ve planted burst into life in the spring, gardening has a number of benefits that you might have previously taken for granted, or perhaps not even realised.

Gardening is more than a hobby reserved to retirees, pensioners, and grandmothers; it has caught on with younger adults and a growing number of school-based programs are expanding into gardening and the benefits it carries. Popular smart phone apps such as Plant Snap, blogs like You Grow Girl, and viral hashtags like #citygarden and #growyourfood are encouraging younger adults to get their hands in the dirt, and as gardening and wellbeing go hand-in-hand, this can only be a good thing!

Gardening for mental health

Gardening is good for your physical, mental and social health—and science proves this is true!

A meta-analysis highlighted the benefits of gardening to include reductions in feelings of anxiety and depression. People who gardened had lower body mass indexes (BMI), which is the gold standard of healthy weight analysis. Gardeners saw increased overall life satisfaction, improved quality of life and a deeper sense of community.¹

Aside from brain health, gardening contributes to improved mental health. It helps combat stress and has even been shown to be more relaxing than reading or other hobbies. It also brings aesthetic beauty to a space. When our homes, neighbourhoods and cities are beautiful, it affects our quality of life.

Cognitive and brain health improvements are just one of the benefits that gardeners see though. Researchers in Australia followed nearly 3,000 seniors over 60 years old for the duration of 16 years in order to better understand what lifestyle factors contributed to the onset or avoidance of dementia. Daily gardening was among the more notable protective factors for participants.²

Benefitting the environment

Gardening or ‘growing your own’ contributes to better environmental ethos. The resources used in mass farming contribute to global environmental degradation. This also refers to those accompanied with the fuels utilised to transport food, the plastics for containers, the pesticides of questionable safety and the nutritional quality of produce picked unripe, shipped long distances and stored for much longer periods between picking and consuming than in generations past. They also contribute to fundamental changes in the nutritional content of fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts. If you can offset some of that with even a kitchen window herb garden, you are helping the environment as well as your and your family’s nutritional foundation. And there is the added benefit of knowing where your food is coming from. It provides the comfort of knowing your farmer at a micro level.

The link between gardening and wellbeing

The lack of exposure to nature is of epidemic proportions in the developed world. Advocates for getting more “vitamin N” (the “n” stands for “nature”) name even going to small city parks as an important activity for getting outside—no need to take a long trek to a distant forest. Gardening is a small microcosm of the natural world and has the added element of interactivity. While a walk in the woods is wonderful for the senses of sight, smell, and sound, gardening adds the element of touch.

Another reason how gardening and wellbeing are linked is that it provides more exposure to vitamin D which helps boost your immunity and contributes to better mental health. In addition, non-insulated direct body contact with the earth connects us to the natural electromagnetic field of our planet which is very likely the best antidote to the “electro smog” of Wi-Fi, mobile phones and 5G, as well as the non-native EMF generated by our massive global electrical grid and the circuits that bring it into nearly everyone’s home.

Gardening as a form of exercise

It might not be the most obvious form of exercise but gardening still counts! While most sorts of gardening aren’t going to make you break a sweat the way a run or swim will, gardening can help keep you in shape by maintaining flexibility and agility.

Squatting down to pull weeds, bending over to plant a seed and twisting your torso to pile dirt around a plant are just some of the functional movements that planting promotes.

You’ll be amazed how hungry you get after a few hours of gardening, which just goes to show how many calories it can burn!

1. Soga, Masashi, et al. “Gardening Is Beneficial for Health: A Meta-Analysis.” Preventive Medicine Reports, vol. 5, 2017, pp. 92–99. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.11.007. [↩]
2. Simons, Leon A, et al. “Lifestyle Factors and Risk of Dementia: Dubbo Study of the Elderly.” Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 184, no. 2, 2006, pp. 68–70. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006. tb00120.x. [↩]

Many of us already know that organic whole foods are highly nutritious with little to none of the additives and preservatives that can be found in some of the processed foods lining our supermarket shelves. Yet many also believe that sourcing good quality produce involves specialist suppliers or higher price tags. Yet there’s another option for anyone looking to introduce more whole foods into their diet; why not have a go at “growing your own” at home?

There’s something special about growing your own fruits and vegetables. From planting the seeds and seeing the first tiny shoots appear, to watching your plants grow and mature…then of course, the excitement of picking your own crops and getting to eat the fruits and vegetables of your labour.

Easier than you think…

Here’s the great thing…you don’t necessarily need to have a vegetable patch or even a garden! You can easily grow your own using window boxes and pots on a balcony or in a tiny paved backyard.¹ If you already have a garden, but don’t think you have space for a dedicated vegetable plot, use containers or hanging baskets instead or try growing vegetables in between flowers and other plants.

From a nutritional point of view, you’ll also have the extra satisfaction of knowing that not only are you getting essential nutrients from a natural source – but that you nurtured them yourself, bringing them from the earth to your table with your own two hands!

To help you get started, here are some ideas for simple and nutritionally beneficial foods to grow at home. All of these can be grown from seed or, if you’d prefer, you can buy small plug plants ready to grow on at a garden centre or nursery.

Tomatoes

One of the key benefits of growing tomatoes is that they’re very versatile. You can eat them freshly picked in salads, grill them on toast for breakfast, bake them or use them as an ingredient in many dishes.

They are nutritionally rich in vitamins A, C and E, plus they’re an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene, which gives most tomatoes their classic red hue.² They’re also easy to grow in pots, tubs, grow-bags and even hanging baskets, where the fruit will tumble down the sides. The smaller varieties of cherry tomatoes are particularly good for growing in hanging baskets.

Salad leaves

Salad leaves, such as lettuce, spinach, cress or endive are also easy to grow, and in fact make a great partner for tomatoes; they can grow between other plants as long as enough light can get through to them. Salad leaves grow well in window boxes or any small containers, and don’t take up too much space.

Picked and eaten fresh, these seemingly light leaves are packed with vitamins and minerals.³ For example, cress is a good source of vitamin C, whereas young spinach leaves and endive are rich in folate and iron – 90g serving of spinach and endive provides approximately 130mcg of folate.⁴

Courgettes

Although courgettes take up a bit more room, they’re easy to grow and can be prolific fruiters – plus they are incredibly versatile, nutritional powerhouses.⁵

They’re a good source of potassium and vitamin C. In fact, a 100g serving of lightly cooked courgettes can provide approximately half of your recommended daily vitamin C intake!⁶

Bake them, sauté them stuff them… they’re a useful ingredient in a variety of dishes – plus if you’ve grown your own tomatoes too, you’re on your way to a delicious ratatouille!

Carrots

Root vegetables, such as carrots, are a good staple vegetable⁷ to include in your diet and are even sweeter and tastier when grown organically at home. Although traditionally grown in the ground, it’s possible to successfully grow “short-root” varieties in pots. Alternatively, some people grow carrots in tall thin pots or even drainpipe tubes!

Their distinctive orange colour comes from the antioxidant beta carotene. Raw, sliced or chopped, boiled, steamed or added to casseroles, soups or stews – carrots are versatile, and will preserve their nutrients very well however prepared.

Strawberries

A favourite for children and adults alike, strawberries are versatile in that they can be grown in a garden, tub or even a hanging basket. It’s possible to buy specially designed strawberry planters, with holes or pockets for the plants to grow out of and the fruits to cascade down the sides.

Freshly picked juicy strawberries are a real treat, and even better when you’ve  picked your own crop – growers often remark that they can ‘taste the sunshine’ in their own strawberries. Rich in potassium, folate and vitamin C, strawberries are one of the tastiest and most indulgent ways to supply yourself with key nutrients.⁸

Taking things further

These are just a few easy ideas to start with, but if you get the gardening bug why not broaden your horizons? You can invest in growbags or convert an area of your garden into a designated plot. If you’re lacking space and want to investigate further growing opportunities, look for a local allotment near you where you could rent a plot, or find out if there are any community gardening schemes in your area.

Finally, remember that a golden rule in nutrition is the more variation the better, so why not look into diversifying and expanding your harvest as you become more confident? Growing different produce can also help you discover new recipes, as you seek to make the most of your newfound bounty!

There’s no doubt that growing your own whole foods can be nutritionally beneficial, but it can be so much more. Cultivating your own little patch of soil and connecting with nature to “create” food of your own can be emotionally satisfying.

Easy to start, infinitely rewarding to master, why don’t you give it a go? Next stop: self-sufficiency!

1. https://www.rd.com/home/gardening/window-box-ideas/ [↩]
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273031.php [↩]
3. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/salad-greens-getting-the-most-bang-for-the-bite [↩]
4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-folate-folic-acid#4.-Leafy-greens [↩]
5. https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-zucchini-for-skin-hair-and-health/#gref [↩]
6. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/zucchini-benefits [↩]
7. https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/benefits-of-carrots/ [↩]
8. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/strawberries [↩]

Rediscover your creative mind

When did you last pursue a creative activity? Creativity is something that’s so natural to us as children, but as we grow older, it’s all too easy to become side-tracked by daily life and forget to take time out to satisfy our creative desires. Creativity in adults is just as important as creativity at any other age though. Creative activities can inspire joy, passion, inspiration and they encourage us as adults to forget our age, as no matter how old we are, it’s never too late to rediscover your creative mind. As editor and leading creativity researcher Ruth Richards once said, “Everyday creativity is . . . fundamental to our very survival. With our everyday creativity, we adapt flexibly, we improvise, we try different options . . .”¹

Quite simply, creativity is part of what it means to be human²

How creativity and age are connected

Do you feel as if you have suffered a loss of creativity as you have gotten older? If so, you’re probably right, as new research by UC Berkeley psychologists suggests that losing creativity with age does tend to happen. Through a series of experiments, it was discovered that adults resorted to less creative thought processes than children.³ Nevertheless, there are plenty of new ways to find and embrace creativity, tap back into the part of your brain responsible for creative thinking and foster a new way or approaching creativeness. If you feel nervous, lost or unsure of where to begin, don’t worry as we’re here to inspire you.

Eight easy yet creative activities for adults

You are never too old to rediscover old hobbies or challenge yourself to learn new things! Whatever your hobbies, interests and current lifestyle, there’s a perfect activity just waiting for you. It doesn’t matter if you are mainly interested in creative activities for adults at home alone, or if you would like ideas for new things to experience with family or friends. People in all circumstances can tap into their creative minds, embrace change and try something new indoors, outdoors, in public and at home. Creativity is available to all of us!

Take a look at the following table to see just how easy it is to inject some creativity into your life.

Find your own rhythm

Music can positively influence our mood, as shown in two recent US Studies from the Department of Psychology at Knox College, Galesburg, IL and the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Findings from these studies demonstrate that listening to positive music may be an effective way to improve happiness. When combined with an intention to become happier, the results are even greater.⁴

Music and singing is accessible to all of us. A few minutes singing in the shower or car can fill you with passion and joy – it doesn’t matter if you think you are any good or not. No one can hear you unless you choose to let them!

Why not go further and start learning a musical instrument? Again, it doesn’t matter how good you perceive yourself to be as it’s less about talent and more about enjoying creativity in adulthood and learning to enjoy your creative nature. If you’ve never picked an instrument up before don’t worry, you’re never too old!

Dance it out

A study conducted at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw, Poland⁵ concluded that dance can bring about changes in mood and is one of the easiest creative expression activities for adults to encourage us to feel joy.

Too shy to dance in public? That’s ok, just turn up the music and dance around your living room where no one can see you! If you would prefer to enjoy dance as a group activity, or guidance, check out local dance classes and go along for a taster session.

Discover the power of imagination with creative writing

If you are less about movement and more about thought, then creative writing and creative thinking activities for adults might be more for you. Reading a book is a great way to enjoy some me time and also good for tapping into your creative mind as you picture the visual worlds being described for you.

But why just read other people’s stories? Why not tap into your own imagination and creative thinking by writing your own fictional stories? Take some time, even just a few minutes a day, for creative and positive thinking and you’re sure to add value to your life.

Embrace different kinds of arts

Are you an art lover? Why not visit an art gallery or join an art class with friends? Get together to share in the fun of drawing, painting and creative design as you create your own artwork. If you’d rather not commit to a regular class, there are plenty of art-based creative activities for adults at home too – why not start a mosaic project, or start completing an adult colouring book?

Creative crafts projects for adults

Pottery, knitting, sewing and embroidery are all great creative projects for adults. If you need some inspiration, take a look online at the main craft tutorials available and see if you can find one that takes your fancy. YouTube and Pinterest are great places to start.

Foster creativity with DIY projects

YouTube is also a fabulous resource for a number of DIY projects, with ideas suitable from beginners right though to experienced professionals. You could start with something simple like soap or candle making and start to create your own resources rather than buying them from shops.

Get creative and sustainable with upcycling

Upcycling is a perfect project to combine creativity and sustainability. By taking resources that already exist and thinking of ways to revamp them or tweak their design, you are being creative while also looking out for the environment.

Gardening as a creative activity

Gardening is not just a chore, it can be a source of creative tasks for adults to explore. Eco-therapy – a form of therapy based on interacting with nature, is great for reducing stress. If you don’t have an outside space, you can still benefit from activities such as filling your house with plants or repotting them to give them a new lease of life.

Get creative as a family – activities for kids, adults and older adults

Children, adults and older adults alike should make creativity a focus in their lives. Take time to enjoy creative family activities together. Spend time with your kids and with the older members of your family and find some common ground by blending creative activities for young adults with creative activities for older adults. Lots of the ideas here are fun, free and are designed to create memories as you tap into your creativity at any age.

1. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-09305-000 [↩]
2. https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/how-creativity-works-in-the-brain-report.pdf [↩]
3. https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/114/30/7892.full.pdf [↩]
4. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2012.747000 [↩]
5. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17461391.2014.969324 [↩]