The Nourish and Flourish conversation guides promote physical health through nutrition and physical activity while fostering connections to mental well-being. We invite staff, mental health professionals, and facilitators who work in community-based mental health support programs to use the guides to initiate conversations using non-judgmental, trauma-informed messages, and motivational interviewing strategies. Each guide is designed to flow from a discussion about a health topic to goal setting. Individuals ideally set their own goals based on personal needs. The guides offer recommendations. The "How to Use this Guide" page has more detailed information with a brief training video.
Hobbies, art, and music are good for your mind, body, and soul.
Creativity is what you make of it and is individual.
Be creative in your own way.
You can use this Creativity goal sheet (pdf) to help guide the discussion.
Trying out new and fun ways to be creative helps you relax and stay healthy in your mind and body. Being creative means you can do things like music, dancing, and making art. Finding out what you like best can make you feel happier. Think about how being creative makes you feel good and helps you stay healthy.
How do you like to be creative in your life? (listen for answers that include drawing, coloring, playing music, singing, dancing, crafts, writing, photography, cooking).
How do you feel when you're being creative? (listen for answers that include calm, satisfied, free, proud, happy).
What inspires your creativity? (listen for answers that include nature, hanging out with friends, listening to music, reading a book, quiet time, listening to my feelings).
Keep a journal.
Allow yourself time to relax and recharge to spark new ideas.
Share your creativity. Your creativity can inspire others.
Today I will engage in a creative activity of my choice for 10 minutes.
Before bed, I will take 5 minutes to write a journal entry.
I will have lunch with a friend one day this week.
On a scale of 1-10 how confident are you that you can meet your plan?
“I feel at peace when I play my guitar.”
“Music has been one of the most prominent things in my childhood. It’s been very productive in my mental health and well-being. It's my medium, it's how I can cope and fight”
“I'm part of an arts program, which is a day service for fine artists. And so I go there and I have my own station for doing my art and they help me get into exhibits and provide support as an artist.”
"It's celebrating my love of food, because I love food, and friendship and things that make me happy. And that also, they make me happy because they taste good and they feel good and my body feels good having them in there.”
"The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.”
— Neil Gaiman