Spontaneity for Mental Health

Thursday, November 15th is World Kindness Day. Although Looking Glass Counseling has spoken to World Kindness Day in the past by Vera and myself, there can be great value in revisiting this type of blogpost with fresh eyes. The classic ways we have talked about being kind to ourselves and our community can be found in linked posts above.

To explore this topic from a different framework, let’s look at ways we can incorporate kindness into our lives that uses creativity and expressive arts therapy:

• Music. For some people, having the right playlist is a way to start the day with kindness. Create or source a playlist that fosters kindness to yourself and your community. When that’s created, play it for yourself on your way to work, at home, or in a space that celebrates song! Perhaps you can make time this week to go to a live music event or participate in music-making/singing yourself. An Instagram reel or story that incorporates a song from this list can also move your kindness to a digital space!

  
  

• Creative Writing. Make time this week to write something that upholds kindness. It could be a list of steps of what it means to practice kindness at work or at home or helping others write out a story/experience that upholds kindness in the world around them. The list could be written on your device or a piece of paper in a notebook of some kind. You can also take it a step further and make a social media post about kindness and what you will do today!

• Dance/Movement. Take a walk in the community or find a space that gives freedom of movement to express kindness to yourself and others. Whether through partner dancing, walking in the park, or facilitating a group movement experience, the accessing of movement can be a way to help your body share and hold kindness for yourself and others. Add a song to the movement to help bolster kindness with sounds and supplemental rhythms. 

• Theatre/Drama/Literature. Consider telling a story, watching a show, or reading a book that fosters kindness. If you play TTRPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, participate or tell a story that navigates showing kindness to those who need it or have a hard time receiving it. You can even do a reading of a story or hosting a poetry slam through Zoom or GoogleMeet with friends and chosen family to talk about being kind to yourself and others.

• Art. Sometimes being kind to yourself from an artistic lens could include going to an art museum, outdoor sculpture garden or walking your neighborhood and seeing the beauty in nature and architecture. Invite a friend or family member on this exploration or take yourself out on a date to a place you’ve been meaning to visit. You can also make art that upholds kindness and share such with you person or community in physical space or online!

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Lou Lim, LMHC, REAT is a licensed mental health counselor and registered expressive arts therapist (REAT) with a master's degree in Expressive Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University. He is a member of the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association and on the committee for REAT credentialing. He has 13 years of experience in counseling and expressive therapy working with children, adolescents, teenagers, adults, and retirees.

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