Empowering Minds: Enhancing Mental Health with Community Center Activities

Senior citizens often find themselves facing physical and emotional challenges, especially when it comes to maintaining good mental health. They encounter a variety of emotional and psychological situations however maintaining and improving their emotional health is not widely talked about in the media. In Singapore’s community centers, there are a wide range of activities to promote active ageing and improve our senior’s mental health. 

Below are some activities held by Singapore’s community centers that seniors can take up to improve their mental wellbeing.

1. Start your mornings with Qi Gong

Imagine yourself practicing Qi Gong in a park hearing the crickets chirping, smelling the fresh crisp morning dew. Not only will you be physically exercising, practicing Qi Gong regularly regulates your sleep pattern and reduces anxiety. Not needing any equipment, all you got to do is show up! Qigong has been found to be an effective, evidence-based complementary therapy that helps one to decrease negative mental health symptoms. Furthermore there is ongoing research that shows Qigong directly improving individuals with anxiety, depression, stress, mood and self-esteem. Not only do the seniors get to exercise, this slow controlled exercise cultivates them to lead a slower life and provides an outlet to relieve their stress. The Punggol 21 Community Club has an active senior citizens group that practices Qigong exercises every weekday morning. For information on the availability of Qi gong in other community centers do click here to find out more!

 2. Reminisce your golden years with Karaoke

Are you one that loves to belt their lungs out in the wrong key? Then this karaoke activity is right up your alley. Not only is karaoking a great way to elevate one’s mood and boost serotonin, it is also a great way for seniors to form friendships with others and provides opportunities for socialization. Several community centers in Singapore offer a variety of recreational karaoke singing with different learning objectives. Multiple locations, including Kampong Chai Chee CC, Kampong Kembangan CC, Bedok CC, and Keat Hong CC provide these karaoke sessions. The fees vary based on the senior’s learning goals, however they fall within the range of $60 to $350. Do check out if your community center is offering karaoke here! 

3. Knead your stress away with Pottery

Did you know that the pottery trend has picked up during the COVID 19 amongst the younger generation in Singapore. However, it is increasingly growing popular among seniors as well! You get to create something that you get to keep, no limitations on your creativity and it is a therapeutic experience that everyone has to try out. By practicing to mold basic clay structures using their imagination it forces us to destress and have an outlet to release any anxiety or stress from their daily lives. There are multiple locations, including Tanjong Pagar CC, Paya Lebar Kovan CC, Kampong Glam CC and Toa Payoh South CC that offer our seniors pottery courses. Though the course fee is quite steep, seniors could tap into pottery as an outlet for relaxation and also having a new hobby. Do check out if your community center is offering pottery here! 

4. Brush negative emotions away with Oil painting

Want to experience what it’s like to be Picasso for a day? Oil painting is a great way to improve a senior’s mental health by reducing stress, increasing happiness, fostering social connections and promoting self-discovery. It doesn’t matter how experienced or artistic you consider yourself, art is a great way for self-expression and a stress reliever for everyone. Oil painting courses are perfect as an introduction for our seniors. Through the course, they can learn about the versatile expressiveness of oil painting, the materials used, and the art form’s drawing techniques. There are multiple locations offering oil painting courses, including Tanjong Pagar CC, Gek Poh CC, Tampines North CC.The course fees typically range around $65 to $103. Do check out if your community center is offering oil painting here! 

Through the array of mental health activities offered at community centers for seniors, it’s clear that Singapore still holds spaces to care and promote senior’s mental wellbeing. Do head down to your nearby community center and find out more about the activities yourself or someone you know can take part to maintain their mental wellbeing.