How Creatives Can Reduce Stress and Live a Successful Life With Mental Health Issues

Whether mental health issues are genetically connected to creativity or environmental factors like short deadlines and irregular payments are the triggers leading to poor mental health. There's no doubt about it, but pursuing a creative career will only lead to some mental health challenges sooner or later. But what can creatives do to prevent mental illness and help them through the tough times? When they feel as if their mind is about to shatter! Here are some tips and tricks for when the stress gets too much.

Eat a healthy diet

Diet is more important than we think and can be a common downfall for professionals. You get stuck in the creative flow and work through lunch. Or grab some quick processed food on the go as you travel from one client meeting to the next. But a poor diet can have shockingly negative impacts on all parts of your life. The Minnesota starvation experiment discovered healthy individuals who ate 50% fewer calories over six months had high levels of anxiety, eating disorder behaviours, and social withdrawal. So skipping meals could lead to more problems than you first thought. While the book Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken discusses how quickly ultra-processed food could be wrecking our minds. So try your best to eat at the same times every day and maybe eat some nuts over that packet of crisps.

Get creative for the sake of being creative

This one might seem strange as creatives are more likely to have poor mental health, but being creative for joy or pleasure alone can improve your well-being. So make sure to have time to write in a journal, experiment in the kitchen, colour in an adult colouring book, or whatever creative hobby you want to pursue. Make sure your goal is not to monetise it or even set deadlines. The only goal you should have is to have fun.

Move daily

Movement is proven to reduce stress, prevent future illness, expand life expectancy, and boost your mood. It’s a no-brainer to move throughout the day. Most creative individuals dodge physical exercise due to being stuck at a desk all day or having little interest in going to the gym. But you don't need to run a marathon or even step foot in the gym to stay active. Schedule a 30-minute walk on your lunch break every day. Attend that yoga class in the fancy studio which opened up down the street. Get out of your comfort zone by trying out Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Or even test your strength and trust in strangers by learning to trapeze. There are dozens of ways in which you can move your body.

Meditation (or simply diaphragmatic breathing)

The benefits of meditation for mental health keep growing. It can feel like nearly every month, a new article about the power of breathing comes out. Reduce insomnia, increase self-awareness, and feel calmer. The list goes on. However, meditation is not only good for your mental health and stress. Many people argue that meditation increases their creative thought process. Taking time out of the day to focus on your breath can help you find solutions when you return to work. But if meditation isn't your thing, then give diaphragmatic a go. All you do is breathe into your belly for less counts than you breathe out. So breathe to your belly for five seconds out for eight seconds, or whatever works for your natural rhythm. It is great at calming down your nervous system and aids digestion, and you can do it during a Zoom call or while dealing with Figma.

Avoid drugs, including the legal ones

Substances can help people progress through their careers or spark new ideas. But to some people, it drives them insane, makes them depressed and throws them out of sync. It can be radical to not consume any drugs in a society where after-work drinks and espresso shots to start the day are the norm. Opting for herbal tea instead of a coffee or enjoying a mocktail instead of a glass can have rippling effects throughout the rest of your life, due to better sleep, less time hungover, and more money to spend on things you truly enjoy. If you are curious about getting sober, reading "Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol" by Ruby Warrington should be a top priority.

Stop working late and get some sleep

Getting 7.5 - 9 hours of sleep every night can feel like a luxury most can't afford. You have kids waking you up early, clients bring a deadline forward, so you decide to work late, or your neighbour's having a party which's keeping you up. Sometimes poor sleep is inevitable and other times, it is worth it for nights of fun and celebration. But what is important is that you get a full night's sleep often, as sleep debt can't be repaid. Plus dozens of articles, TED Talks, and research on how poor sleep can wreak havoc with your health. So start getting a bedtime routine in order and buy those earplugs.

Keep a routine

One of the most difficult tips for any creative individual is getting a solid routine in place. You never know when your creative energy is going to strike you. It could be in the office between 9 – 5. Or just after midnight. If you're lucky enough to plan your hours, schedule them around your most productive times. If you're trapped in an office, learn creative ideation techniques and opt not to work late. Eat food at similar hours every day, wake up at the same time every day, or go to yoga on the same night each week. Try your best to maintain a routine. Even if you have no client project to work on, work your usual hours on self-promotion projects. Human beings love routines as much as we all want an adventurous life of unpredictable events, and this often leads to more stress than most can handle.

Find a good therapist

The final tip, which I believe is the best during turbulent times find a therapist. Either visit your GP, search online, call a helpline, or try better help. We live in a world with plenty of resources out there, with hundreds of trained individuals willing to listen and guide you. You might even find it beneficial to have multiple block therapy sessions during your lifetime to tackle individual problems. Need to overcome some past trauma work with a counsel on psychodynamic talk therapy for eight weeks. Want to overcome your disordered eating? Why not explore CBT for several weeks with a psychiatrist? Just make sure you are kind to yourself, look after yourself, and reach out for help if and when you need it.

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For more tips, tricks and advice on surviving the world as a creative freelancer visit jamesnealecreative.com