The Arts Can Promote Youth Mental Well-Being
DEBRA COX, RETIRED 4-H EDUCATORHave you ever thought of ways to increase your mental well-being? One way is to dive into the arts and learn to express yourself to the point where your creativeness can capture how you feel.
Our youth can use more of the arts in their life. Many think of the arts as painting, playing instruments, or singing, and dancing. The arts are associated with so much more—things like horticulture or cooking can also be seen as the arts. Sadly, many students are not exposed to the various components that make up the arts.
Many schools do offer art, music, cooking, and working with plants. STREAM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, and there are schools focusing on this concept to help students. But we need more programs, so every student has the opportunity to benefit from the arts.
Often, youth (and their families) don’t realize what the arts can do for a person’s mental health. Artistic expression can help decrease depression, feelings of anger, and anxiety according to the American Art Therapy Association. If students are involved in the creative process, then it may help them to regulate the different emotions they feel plus enhance their cognitive skills—all things that students need to be successful in school and in life.
Check with your local community to see what types of arts programming are offered for youth. Many can join a band or chorus, take music lessons from local individuals, or be part of a community music theater group. Some communities have art, woodworking, or ceramic classes.
There are lots of opportunities for youth to engage with the arts at school. Painting and drawing are offered at some schools. Public schools usually offer agricultural courses where students can learn about horticulture. Students may be able to get into a culinary arts program. And all schools have language arts, which can include creative writing.
Knowing many school systems do offer some arts programming can bring a sigh of relief to parents as it can help provide ways for youth to express some of their emotions and help promote good mental health.
The arts are a good way to provide youth a creative outlet that may allow students to promote their good mental health. As a community, we need to focus on the arts and what it can do for everyone involved as everyone deserves good mental health.
DEBRA COX
Debra Cox is a retired 4-H educator and worked with youth in Mitchell County, Georgia. She currently serves as the Mitchell County Farm Bureau Women’s Chair and shares programming with youth in her county on agriculture. Debra is a mental health advocate and speaks up on this topic. When she worked with the 4-H programming she would do a presentation on “Less Stress for Students” and it included conversation on getting electronics out of the bedroom, healthy eating and drinks, study tips, and standing yoga. Debra has written several articles as it relates to mental health and often speaks to women’s group about mental health. Debra is married to a farmer; Hollis Cox from Pelham, Georgia and they have 3 adult children and 8 grandchildren.
She loves to paint, garden, create various crafts, get creative in the kitchen with the grands, sing, and spending time outside!
Debra does has dealt with anxiety in her adult life and often talks about it.
She has an MPA focused on Health Administration and Policy. One of the most important things she shared is that it is best to listen intently with your heart to others going through life ups and downs not to answer but to understand what they are going through!
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