8 Ways How Drawing And Painting Can Reduce Stress

Art is not just used to express one's inner thoughts and feelings or their perception of the world around them, art is also used as a medium for therapy. That is why art therapy is in popularity today. Art can help to reduce stress and acts as a channel for expressing the emotions and feelings of a person. Art is considered to be a great stress relief tool by many, and many therapists suggest art therapy for their patients who struggle with stress and anxiety. If you are someone who deals with stress on a daily basis, then the solution to a more relaxed state of mind might lie in art.

Here's how art can de-stress and calm you and make you into a much happier person.

1. You get to connect with your inner child: In order to draw or paint, it is not necessary that you should be talented because when we were kids, we drew and painted whatever we liked without even considering the aesthetic beauty of the painting. So when you paint or draw it is a chance to get in touch with your inner child and be carefree with your art because talent is not a matter here, it's just you expressing whatever you feel like and just having fun with pencils and paints.
2. Drawing takes your mind off things: Day-to-day activities in an adult's life can be exhausting. One gets tired and can get easily stressed out. Drawing or painting is a really great way to de-stress yourself and to relieve oneself from anxiety. When you engage yourself in the activity of drawing or painting, you take your mind off from what's stressing you out. You will slowly realize that you stop thinking about unnecessary things and your mind is a lot more clear at the end of the activity.
3. Making art can calm you like meditation: When you are totally involved in the process of creating art, you are doing an activity equivalent to meditation. As you concentrate on the activity you are doing, you shut yourself off from unwanted thoughts and become completely immersed in making art. This drives you towards a near state of meditation and you receive many benefits of meditation which will clear your mind and make you feel less stressed. As your mind becomes calm your anxiety level also comes down.
4. It improves your focus: Drawing or painting can also improve focus because when you are drawing you give your complete attention and focus to that process and you are not easily distracted by your surroundings. This focus you develop while you make art helps in clearing your mind and enables you to take focused decisions with a clear head.
5. Playing with colors improves your mood: At times when you are sad, upset or even depressed, colors can instantly uplift your mood. Colors like blue, yellow, green, purple and orange can brighten up your mood. When you play with these colors your mind gets relaxed and you will slowly start feeling less stressed. Studies have shown that coloring geometric shapes induce meditative benefits which are beneficial for people with stress and anxiety.
6. A medium of self-expression: Art is a great way of expressing your inner feelings. Sometimes people find it difficult to put words to their feelings or properly articulate what they are actually feeling. Sometimes people just don't want to talk about what's troubling them. In such cases, art can help people express their feelings and emotions. You could even tell your story through your drawing or painting.
7. Art as a hobby: Most of the time people are busy with their work and family life that they seldom get some alone time. You need a hobby to spend some time with yourself and do things you love. Having a hobby itself can help in dealing with stress and drawing or painting is a great hobby to indulge in. Make sure that you allot some time of your day to engage in your hobby, where you can be yourself and express yourself through art.
8. Get creative: Making art means you get creative. Your start thinking outside the box, your search for new methods of self-expression and you even get to create something for someone your love. The thought of making something for the person you love itself is a really heartwarming thought and when you actually involve yourself in the process positive feels take control of you and you feel happy and calm.