When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, stress is a major factor. In 2020, it’s even more of a stressor given the politics and the racial tensions. But life stresses are brought about by a variety of reasons like demands from our workplaces, the economy, pressure from our environment, family and friends, past events, or even the economy. When stress occurs repeatedly, it will affect our health, both mentally and physically.
One of the major relievers of stress is creating art. It gives room for positive ways of stress processing and managing emotions of the events of both past and present. Art distracts your mind and gives it a break far from the worries of life and anxiety that causes uncertainty, and depression, therefore, offering the mind some therapy.
Despite adults having the feeling that they are not good in art and that it belongs to kids, the talented ones, and professionals, it benefits from being therapeutic. They need to understand that the end product is barely useful, and the emphasis is on the art creation process to aid in stress relief.
Art creation stimulates the release of a chemical known as dopamine from the body. Anytime we engage ourselves in something that gives us pleasure, the chemical is released, and it makes us happier. This neurotransmitter is very important in battling anxiety or depression. Art gives you the advantage of leaving you with a beautiful thing to show.
Its involvement takes all the concentration, therefore, improving performance, and lowering the levels of stress. In regards to research, art has been found to reduce stress levels within 45 minutes of participation. Art ameliorates stress in several ways. They include:
Acting as a Self-Care Form
Despite the responsibilities and challenges of life, we deserve care to self and some downtime. Part of our time needs to be set aside for our hobbies. Your hobbies tend to give you a chance away from reality, the harshness of life, and some tranquility and contentment.
“State of Flow”
In this case, the flow is described as being completely engaged, especially the involvement of your attention in carrying out an activity. Like contemplation, this flow is likely to improve not only performance but also lower stress levels.
There are certain activities that when you practice them, they help you experience this kind of flow. The activities include; drawing, painting, gardening, playing a sport, writing, or practicing an instrument such as the piano, the guitar, or even the violin.
Taking Things Off Your Mind
Creating art takes away your stresses from your mind for a while. It is not easy to keep on dwelling on the meditation of your troubles when your mind is focused on something else. However, if, in any case, your problems keep bogging your mind, then you can include those same problems in your art, and by the time you are through, you will have a mind that is a bit clear, and ready to handle and solve your problems.
There are books to aid in this art therapy. These books provide guidelines to your mind for drawing and painting in such a way that anyone can do, and professionalism is not focused on. Another way aside from the use of these particular books is keeping a journal for art creation.
This journal should include things that please the victim affected and also those that make him, or her feel grateful, not forgetting those that he or she finds beauty in. These could be dreams and desires that bring joy and contentment.
Other than the journal, you could also draw something that is referred to as mandala. This is in the shape of a circle. In it, colors and shapes are filled. Once you create yours, you are allowed to use symbols as representations of your life events. You do not have to put your concentration on the exact events. It is just a way of processing your life story less harshly and painfully.
Bringing to a pattern the colors you like helps you focus, therefore distracting you from worry and enabling you to relieve stress. Another way is also undergoing art therapy with a specialist. He or she takes you through an art creating a session that manages even depression and anxiety. People living with PTSD also express lesser symptoms after undergoing this kind of art therapy. In addition to being a stress relief, creating art also stimulates the brain’s pleasure, the provision of emotional resilience, and improvement to self-esteem.
In conclusion, creating art does relieve not only mental stress but also physical. Once your mind is relaxed, the body also tends to find rest. Regardless of whether you are an artist, do not resist using these criteria of drawing and painting as a stress reliever. Its working has been proved. However, Girija Kaimal, a researcher, claims that this stress control method is more effective in younger people than in the aged.