When people talk about therapy, they often think about people sitting on a couch and talking to someone about their thoughts and feelings and problems, However, therapy is so much more than that and actually there are some activities that are used as therapy for various conditions, so much so that outpatient drug rehab centers often have outdoor therapy programs or adventure-based treatment.
Obviously, you don’t have to have the condition or have to go to a center to do these activities and benefit from them, so if you are feeling stressed or anxious or even want a bit of fun, then try out these activities, and you may find them therapeutic and very beneficial to your life:
Art Therapy
Art can give you the opportunity to express your inner thoughts and can also help you to better understand and make sense of your emotions and can be helpful to many people suffering from a wide spectrum of illnesses and disabilities such as depression, trauma, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, dementia, physical disability and bereavement and loss.
Art therapy can allow you to pause from life for a minute and achieve self-expression and expression of feelings; it can help you to recognize your growth and inner strength and can help people come to terms with physical illness.
Pet Therapy
Pet therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a trained animal. It can be used to help people recover or cope with a health problem or mental disorder, and while dogs and cats are the most common pets used, you can also use fish, guinea pigs, and horses for therapy.
Interacting with a friendly pet can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health, it can release endorphins that produce a calming effect which can reduce pain and stress. It can also help to improve motor skills and joint movement, increase self-esteem, develop social skills; it can make you happier, lessen depression, and improve your outlook on life.
Walking/Hiking Therapy
Walking or hiking is used as an excellent therapy too, as getting outdoors makes you feel good anyway, but hiking and sweating out your frustrations can feel very therapeutic. It’s an excellent activity for soothing and clearing your mind, it helps to put things in perspective, it can make you more mindful and as it’s such a great exercise, it can rejuvenate you and increase your happiness as many studies have shown the beneficial effects of exercise on mental health and one’s outlook on life.
Physical activity induces the release of endorphins which energize your spirit, making you feel happy. What’s great is no matter the shape you’re in, you can even reap these benefits from a small hike.
Music Therapy
It’s no wonder that dancing around your bedroom listening to music makes you feel good, or when you’re sad, listening and crying to sad songs makes you feel better. Music therapy is an established psychological clinical intervention to help people whose lives have been affected by injury, illness, or disability through supporting their mental, emotional, cognitive, physical, communicative, and social needs.
In music therapy, music therapists draw upon the innate qualities of music to support people of all ages and abilities and at all stages of life; from helping newborn babies develop healthy bonds with their parents, to offering vital, sensitive and compassionate palliative care at the end of life.
It can help develop and facilitate communication skills, improve self-confidence and independence, enhance self-awareness and awareness of others, improve concentration and attention skills.
