JOURNALLING AND WRITING

Journalling can help you identify and work through any situations in your life that are causing stress, depression or anxiety. This then allows you to create a plan for resolving any situations that may be impacting your mental health. Journalling also gives you the opportunity to practise positive self-talk and reflect on positive memories.

Creative writing is another fabulous interest to consider challenging your passions into. According to research by Scientific American, writing can help you develop your organisational skills by crafting and sequencing your thoughts and ideas, boost your reasoning and problem-solving skills, and help you to integrate a wide range of words and grow your word bank.

As well, because so much of the brain is engaged, the more you write, the more neural connections are formed; and the more you use your brain, the more it will grow like a muscle. You don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway or do it with a view to get published: just write for your own pleasure.

Gardening

Exposure to plants and the act of gardening can have such a positive effect on mental health. And don’t forget how good it is for your physical health: researchers found that the one common factor shared by all of the world’s centenarians was that they gardened well into their old age.

An edible garden offers the best of every world – tending it will keep you physically strong, but you can also eat what you grow, saving you money and cutting back on ingesting chemicals used to grow food. Better Health Victoria has a great guide to creating your own edible garden here: betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/ gardening-for-health-starting-out.

Creating your own garden in your own backyard is optimal, but if that’s something you can’t manage, consider a house full of easy-care indoor plants, which have myriad benefits, including boosting mood, increasing creativity, reducing stress and eliminating air pollutants.

And make sure to take advantage of the country’s sublime botanical gardens: entry is free (or nominal) and you can wander for hours, finding inspiration for your own backyard or just enjoying the natural beauty and sunlight. ACG

Courtesy 7 Summit Pathways.