The post is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.
When your is mind is racing in a direction that you can't control in times of stress, it can feel like a horse running loose with no reins. But bringing your mind back to a state of calm isn't as easy as flipping a switch. It's important to have techniques and exercises to help your mind feel less stressed. One way is through art therapy.
While practicing art on your own can be a meaningful practice that leads to improvements in mental health, it's not a substitute for therapy. If you're considering whether to engage in online therapy, sometimes called telemental health counseling, it's important to get the facts. Online therapy offers a number of benefits over traditional in-office therapy, which may be more cost-effective and faster to start. Often you can be matched to a licensed therapist with the specialty you desire within just 48 hours.
In this article, we'll look at some ways to address stress and improve mental health through art therapy that you can do at home without any special art supplies.
Exploring The Mental Health Benefits Of Art Therapy
The use of visual art therapy has been shown in studies to benefit mental health, help people express themselves, and even help them improve their relationships with others.
While staring at a blank piece of paper can be stressful if you're looking to create the perfect masterpiece, art therapy is all about the process. With art therapy, the focus is on the process of creating not a certain end result. It's okay to want to improve your skills overall, but there's no pressure to create a masterpiece.
Everything that happens is considered an expression, which should be recognized not judged. Accidentally spill some paint on the canvas? Call it a happy accident. Feel like mindlessly doodling? Great, keep going. Coloring outside the lines? Go with it.
While there's a difference between art therapy with a licensed therapist and practicing the principles of art therapy yourself, it may be worthwhile giving some DIY art therapy exercises a shot. Here are some simple therapeutic art exercises that are appropriate for a wide range of people to try.
Scribble With Your Eyes Closed
If scribbling with your eyes closed takes you back to grade school, then you may be headed in the right direction. When we were kids, we didn't care if we colored outside the lines. We had less of a sense of being judged. Part of the way art can be therapeutic is by helping people recapture their sense of freedom from making mistakes or getting things "right."
To begin this exercise, start by taping a large piece of paper to a table. You'll want to make sure you can freely move your arm over the paper with your eyes closed without tearing it. Any kind of crayon, pencil or chalk you want to use will work. Then scribble for 30 seconds with your eyes closed. When time's up, open your eyes. Look at your scribble until you can find an image in what you've drawn, like a flower. Then consciously draw in more details on the flower with your eyes open. Finally, give your drawing a name once you've finished.
Create A Calm Book
In this exercise, you'll cut out images out of magazines that you find calming. To begin, grab a stack of 10-20 sheets of heavy paper. Grab some glue or a glue stick. Some pens or markers, plus something to bind your book. You can punch holes in your book or simply staple the pages together.
Once you have your tools assembled, start looking for images in your magazines. Cut out any image that appeals to you and helps you feel relaxed. Once you have a good-size stack of calming images, start to paste them on your pieces of paper. If you're inspired to write titles with your images, grab your markers. You can write or add bold outlines and illustrations to your magazine pictures, if you wish. When you're done pasting, assemble your book. Then pull out your book to flip through it whenever you wish to capture a sense of calm.
In Conclusion By engaging in art therapy, it's possible to no longer feel the fear of looking at a blank piece of paper. But that's just the start, after practicing expressive art therapy many people will feel less anxiety. Some people who practice art therapy will find their creative thinking is sharper. Others will learn to take more initiative. But almost everyone can benefit from feeling free from being judged, or needing to do things in a perfect way. Embracing the happy mistakes of art making can be a freeing experience that enriches our lives in far-reaching ways.