When we were kids, we found comfort in the mess of a hands-on project. We couldn’t wait to play with colour in art class and peel the glue off our hands when experimenting with paper mache. There was something naturally satisfying about having an idea in our heads and then making it into a physical reality with our own hands.
As we’ve grown older, it has become increasingly easy to turn to our devices for entertainment rather than picking up a paintbrush. When we need a new chair, it doesn’t even cross our minds that we could just construct one rather than ordering off Amazon.
Creating something with our own hands shouldn’t be restricted to ‘just a kids thing’ because it isn’t. It’s a basic human instinct.
That’s where Habitat HM’s ReVive Centre comes in, offering hands-on team building experiences that put mentally healthy and creative coping strategies into practice.
Dr. Kelly Lambert, psychiatrist and author of The Creativity Cure: How to Build Happiness with Your Own Two Hands, has found that hands-on work satisfies our primal need to make things and also promotes psychological well-being. To produce something that we would otherwise buy helps us to regain the pleasure, meaning and pride that we have robbed ourselves of by abandoning these hands-on processes. Dr. Lambert’s research has shown that hands-on activities, from knitting to woodworking are beneficial when looking to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.
The ReVive Centre is Habitat HM’s multipurpose product development centre. Activities like the DIY upcycling projects offered promote positive mental health by teaching participants hands-on skills while also promoting a healthier planet, breathing new life into donated materials and products that would otherwise be sent to the landfill.
As a green-oriented initiative and the very first of its kind, the ReVive Centre is an innovative, unique idea that helps raise funds for Habitat’s operational costs and home building program, empowering low-income families in our community.
“When you make something you feel productive, but the engagement and exploration involved in the doing can move your mind and elevate your mood. As you sift, shape, move and address your project your inner being moves too,” explains Dr. Lambert, “The process itself provides value. If we can treasure doing as much as having done we provide new avenues for success, self-esteem or self-repair…creative action is a natural antidepressant.”
It’s time to channel your inner child and embrace hands-on activities once again. As we’ve learned, DIY projects are great for your mental health and our ReVive Centre is an amazing place to let loose and give back to your community. Allow your mental health creative release!
If you’re interested in booking a team building day at our ReVive Centre, check out our page.
You can also download our ReVive Brochure and Information Package.
And remember, your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
About Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga
Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga is a proud member of our national organization Habitat Canada and is one of 54 local Habitat affiliates across our country. Habitat for Humanity brings communities together to help families build strength, stability, and independence through affordable home ownership. We provide a solid foundation for better, healthier lives in Canada and around the world. You can find out more about Habitat Canada at habitat.ca.