WORKSITE Well-BEiNG – AUG 2022
Blue Zones Project is partnering with employers across Hawai‘i to create healthier work environments that empower employees to be happier, healthier and more productive. We invite employers, employees, and anyone interested in worksite well-being here in Hawai‘i to check out our blog and newsletter topics that highlight Blue Zones Project Approved worksites on a periodic basis, along with helpful well-being resources that may be beneficial to your organization.
Downshift From Work Through Art and Music
The benefits of creating art or enjoying music in a social setting to alleviate stress are manifold. Creativity engages different parts of the brain, such as the pre-frontal cortex. This disrupts the amygdala where fear and anxiety like to camp out and overstay their welcome.1 Socializing releases sweet-sweet oxytocin, a hormone that causes us to feel a sense of comfort and psychological safety amongst peers.2 Since Americans typically have a very stress-induced culture with long work hours and not enough time focused on reducing stress and improving well-being, art and music could be just the remedy to counter workplace stressors.
I recently had the pleasure of attending one of Castle Medical Center’s Museum Without Walls Mindfulness & Relaxation art classes and it was truly wonderful. Artist and art professor, Denise Karabinus, led Castle employees and guests through a water coloring lesson that had my wife and me painting at home the past few weeks during our evenings after dinner and before bed. Many of us have “spirit animals” that often change depending on the mood we’re in. To begin our mindful artwork, we checked in with ourselves using a mood meter like the one pictured below.
We’ve all had our emotions get the better of us at times – it’s what makes us human after all! We also know that bringing awareness to our emotions can affect how we behave and respond to certain stimuli both in the moment, at work, and in life. Awareness of our feelings is but a first step to taking control, however. Expressing ourselves through art and music can be a powerful way of articulating (see what I did there?) the way we feel and how those emotions can manifest in real life.
So, we painted animals.
At left: my startled flamingo. At right: my wife’s elephant at ease. What mood(s) do you think we were in when we put brush to paper?
I think the last time I painted must’ve been back in my early years of grade school – it’s just not something I do, nor is artist something I consider myself. But the great thing is, it doesn’t matter! Art can be for everyone, whether it’s playing the drums, coloring, sculpting a hunk of clay, or music and dance.
Obviously only so many types of art are workplace appropriate, so don’t be shy to ask your colleagues what they’d like to try. Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite, HSTA dedicated a table in their lounge to a puzzle, and has a bookcase with adult coloring books and colored pencils for anyone to use. Having a quiet space at work for colleagues to color and downshift have been shown to reduce stress, increase focus and boost employee satisfaction.
Hawaiʻi Pacific University, another worksite participating with Blue Zones Project, has a brilliant honu (turtle) on one of their library walls with markers nearby for passersby to contribute some color and downshift on their breaks.
Because both my wife and I work from home, we set up a little space for water coloring – all we need is a cup of water for the brush.
Like many things in life, painting (with some "Wine at 5," if you so choose) is one activity that’s extra enjoyable with some good company. KTA Superstores on Hawai‘i Island (pictured below) has hosted a number of paint + wine events for their lovely team members.
Another option to alleviate stress and create a positive work environment is through music. Music has been shown to be therapeutic and beneficial to our well-being. Our Blue Zones Project Hawaii team has been starting each meeting with a colleague’s song of choice – the last round’s theme was “uplifting songs,” which I kicked off with Fifth Harmony’s "Worth It." In the next meeting a colleague played, "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley & The Wailers. In the next meetings another colleague played "Gratitude" by Londrelle, followed by "One Day" by Matisyahu. Now we’re on to sharing our favorite “workout jams” which was kicked off by Outkast's "Hey Ya!" and most recently "Hi-De-Ho" by Jack White.
When creativity in the workplace is celebrated and valued, you might be surprised by not only happier colleagues, but a work environment that’s more imaginative, innovative, purposeful and productive.
To learn more about incorporating well-being in your workplace, email Cyrus.Howe@Sharecare.com.
Written by Cyrus Howe, Statewide Worksite Lead, Blue Zones Project Hawaii
[1] https://hbr.org/2021/10/4-ways-to-spark-creativity-when-youre-feeling-stressed
[2] https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/oxytocin-the-love-hormone
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