Day Habilitation Activities

Day habilitation activities are typically carried out at a mental health facility. These activities are done to compliment treatments and can be for the purpose of stress relief and/or education. The term covers a variety of practices such as daily living skills as well as leisure and recreational activities.

Hobbies

• Learning a new hobby is one effective day habilitation activity. Hobbies are long-term ways patients can practice stress relief. They may also help to increase a patient's self-esteem as they are able to complete a project or perform a skill looked upon favorably. Craft hobbies are easily learned in day habilitation settings. Some suggestions for craft hobbies include: knitting, soap making, and painting.

Keeping a Journal

• Writing in a journal is a way to reflect on your thoughts, which is beneficial to many people requiring day habilitation. Some patients may have difficulty sitting down and writing. These patients may benefit from optional writing prompts. As patients become more comfortable with the process, they should be able to rely on writing prompts less.

Exercise

• Exercise is a natural mood lifter and a common activity for day habilitation. Light exercise may include walking, jogging, and dancing. Many juvenile programs also incorporate rope courses in their programs for the elements of team work. Yoga is a very popular form of exercise and boasts tremendous stress-reducing and cardiovascular benefits. Exercise activities should be able to be graded depending on each patient's health and ability.

Education

• Holding relevant educational workshops for patients is another day habilitation activity. Workshops may center around health and wellness and should be led by a knowledgeable professional. Some examples of educational workshops include: healthy sexuality, building and keeping healthy relationships, sexually transmitted disease prevention, anger management, stress management, and family planning.