When we think of Occupational Therapy, we immediately think about helping people return to what it is they can not do. However, a major part of Occupational Therapy is using meaningful occupations as the therapy. So what are some of the benefits of doing what you enjoy?
- Engaging in something you love doing will quickly ease stress. And if you engage in that activity regularly, you will feel less overwhelmed by the stress in your day to day life and therefore be less reactive to it.
- Doing something that you are good at , such as cooking or dancing, is a good way to lift your mood. Experiencing a sense of achievement is a great way to make yourself feel happy.
- Many activities that we enjoy such as gardening, going for a bike ride or a simple stroll along the beach involve physical activity. So not only will you be improving your mental health, but your physical health as well.
- Activities that involve problem solving such as puzzles, learning a new language or learning how to play an instrument will, challenge you mentally which will boost your memory and sharpen your thinking skills.
- Studies have shown how important it is to our overall health and wellbeing to have quality social interaction and relationships. There are many things that we do in our day that can create or foster these relationships such as joining a painting class, making a phone call to a friend or playing soccer with your team on the weekend.
In times like these we could all use a little more happiness in our days, so make sure you make time to do the things that you love.