Art For Anxiety

Halfway through your day, you take a moment to pause and reflect, only to realize with a sense of dismay that you haven’t smiled once. Your body, too, bears the burden of this mental strain; your muscles are tight and sore, a physical manifestation of the tension that has built up as you navigate through your anxious thoughts. You might find yourself clenching your jaw or hunching your shoulders without even realizing it, as your body instinctively reacts to the stress that permeates your day.

It’s a stark reminder of how easy it is to forget to relax or, in some cases, not even know how to let go of the tension that has taken hold. The challenge lies not only in recognizing this state but also in finding effective ways to break free from it and rediscover a sense of calm and peace amidst the chaos.

There are several ways to relax. Therapists have been developing ways for those of us with difficult brains that are just wired to go to the negative. Many of the ways we have been taught to relax are simple like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.

The question is what do we do, after using these techniques. Well we can take 15 or 20 minutes to enrich our thinking by creating, whether music or art. This fills that now slightly relaxed brain with a sense of well being. It enhances our relaxation and brings us a more thorough sense of feeling good.

Try it, next time choose your relaxation technique and right after sit and draw for ten minutes, sing to your favorite song, paint a rock, whittle some wood. You will be surprised how good you feel!