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Drawing is a good way to keep your mind occupied!

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While art therapy is its own field, you can use the benefits of art to express your creative side and drawing skills to reduce stress and get in touch with your feelings. I think most of us knew this instinctively as kids: virtually all of us know the joys of sculpting something (with play-dough), painting something (with fingers), or drawing (with crayons and other materials).

However, other than making random doodles in the margins of a page while you're on killing time, if you're like most adults, you don't express yourself with art like you did as a kid.

You may not think you're any "good" at creating art, or you may not think it's worth your time, but art is actually a valuable pastime, even for those who don't consider themselves artistically inclined. There are many reasons that art is a great stress relief tool, even for those who don't consider themselves to be artists.

Benefits of Art

One of the reasons that clinical art therapy is effective is that the act of drawing and creating art can help you relieve stress in several ways. Read on to see why creating art doesn't have to fit a certain mold to be a great idea for you. Here are some ways that creating art can alleviate stress:

Distraction

Drawing and art can take your mind off of what's stressing you, at least for a few minutes. It's difficult to keep ruminating on your problems when you're focused on creating, and if your problems stay with you, you can incorporate them into your creations.

And when you're finished being engrossed in your sketches, you should have a clearer head with which to tackle your problems again.

Flow

There's a certain quality of being called "flow" that experts say is very beneficial for us. This refers to a state of being completely engaged in something to the point of being in a near-meditative state.

It carries many of the benefits of meditation, leaving you much less stressed when you're done. You can experience 'flow' when you're doing creative activities like writing and even gardening. You can also get it from drawing.

Self-Care

Just the act of having a hobby can make you feel more balanced in your lifestyle. Sometimes, with all of life's responsibilities, we forget that we need and deserve 'down time' and self-care. Taking even a few minutes on a regular basis to devote to a hobby can give you more of what you need in this area. And, with drawing, you have the additional benefit of being left with something beautiful (or at least interesting) to show for it!

Read more about the other research-proven benefits of art and creative expression for stress relief.

Do-It-Yourself Art Therapy for Stress Relief

One of my favorite ways to use the act of drawing for stress relief is to maintain a sketch diary. Keeping a sketchbook can be a form of journaling, and it can be cathartic, creative, and stress relieving. You can use a journal for personal art therapy and stress management in the following ways:

Draw Out Your Emotions

Sketch pictures that describe your feelings related to things in your life that are causing you stress currently.

If it's in the back of your mind anyway, this could be a way of processing your related emotions, reducing some of the stress they carry.

Process Old Stress

Sketch abstract pictures that express feelings related to past stressful experiences, as a way of processing your emotions and healing. This can be a form of journaling but can be especially helpful for those who are more comfortable with ideas and emotions that don't need to be put into words.

Keep a Sketch Diary

Keep a "Dream Sketch Diary", and sketch scenes from dreams you'd like to remember or better understand. You can also keep a "Gratitude Sketch Diary" to catalog what you're grateful for in your life.

There are several different types of sketch diaries you can create and enjoy.

Record the Beauty in Life

Keep a sketch diary of what you think is beautiful in life. Draw the faces of those you love, places that bring you peace, or other pieces of beauty. The process of sketching can be a great stress reliever, and revisiting your creations can also bring you some peace in the future.

Enjoy Coloring Books

Start enjoying some of the adult coloring books that have become popular-they can be especially relaxing for those who don't feel artistic, but want to create easy, beautiful, and stress-free pictures.

Find more ideas for using art in your daily life for stress relief.
Bell, Chloe E.; Robbins, Steven J. (2007). Effect of Art Production on Negative Mood: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, v24 (2), 71-75. Peterson, C. A primer in positive psychology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2006. Van der Vennet, R.; Serice, S. (2012). Can Coloring Mandalas Reduce Anxiety? A Replication Study. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, Vol 29(2), 87-92.

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Art Therapy: Relieve Stress By Being Creative

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While art therapy is its own field, you can use the benefits of art to express your creative side and drawing skills to reduce stress and get in touch with your feelings. I think most of us knew this instinctively as kids: virtually all of us know the joys of sculpting something (with play-dough), painting something (with fingers), or drawing (with crayons and other materials).

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(For people who don’t know)a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances

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This could help many people

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How do you deal with anxiety when life's pressure-cooker has you tied in knots? Here are stress-busting activities to help you unwind.Just as stress can seem to come at you from a thousand different directions, you can find relief from stress from a seemingly unlimited number of sources. Studies show ...

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Stress can affect all aspects of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health. No part of the body is immune

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Athletes get stressed by Refs Making Bad Calls

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Athletes get stressed by Refs Making Bad Calls

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traumatic experiences that occurred in the distan past yet can continue modifying the immune system because of their long-lasting emotional and cognitive consequences

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the stress of poverty of dysfunctional families, of being trapped in an unhappy marriage or in a despised job or career basically have a not so happy life

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Is extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

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A positive reaction to stress that generates within us a desire to achieve and overcome a challenge

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Actually playing sports can also help with anxiety and depression too

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Stress is an inevitable part of life. Seven out of ten adults in the United States say they experience stress or anxiety daily, and most say it interferes at least moderately with their lives, according to the most recent ADAA survey on stress and anxiety disorders. When the American Psychological Association surveyed people in 2008, more people reported physical and emotional symptoms due to stress than they did in 2007, and nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year.

It's impossible to eliminate, but you can learn to manage stress, and most people usually do. According to a recent ADAA online poll, some 14 percent of people make use of regular exercise to cope with stress. Others reported talking to friends or family (18 percent); sleeping (17 percent); watching movies or TV (14 percent), as well as eating (14 percent) and listening to music (13 percent).

While all of these are well-known coping techniques, exercise may be the one most recommended by health care professionals. And among ADAA poll takers who exercise, a healthy percentage is already on the right track: Walking (29 percent), running (20 percent), and yoga (11 percent) are their preferred strategies.

Exercising Body and Mind

The physical benefits of exercise-improving physical condition and fighting disease-have long been established, and physicians always encourage staying physically active. Exercise is also considered vital for maintaining mental fitness, and it can reduce stress. Studies show that it is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration, and at enhancing overall cognitive function. This can be especially helpful when stress has depleted your energy or ability to concentrate.

When stress affects the brain, with its many nerve connections, the rest of the body feels the impact as well. So it stands to reason that if your body feels better, so does your mind. Exercise and other physical activity produce endorphins-chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers-and also improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress. Meditation, acupuncture, massage therapy, even breathing deeply can cause your body to produce endorphins. And conventional wisdom holds that a workout of low to moderate intensity makes you feel energized and healthy.

Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. Even five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects.

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Stress is an inevitable part of life. Seven out of ten adults in the United States say they experience stress or anxiety daily, and most say it interferes at least moderately with their lives, according to the most recent ADAA survey on stress and anxiety disorders.

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It might depend on the music you listen to that can help you relieve stress

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The soothing power of music is well-established. It has a unique link to our emotions, so can be an extremely effective stress management tool.

Listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music. This type of music can have a beneficial effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones. Music, in short, can act as a powerful stress management tool in our lives.

As music can absorb our attention, it acts as a distraction at the same time it helps to explore emotions. This means it can be a great aid to meditation, helping to prevent the mind wandering.

Musical preference varies widely between individuals, so only you can decide what you like and what is suitable for each mood. But even if you don't usually listen to classical music it may be worth giving it a try when selecting the most calming music.

When people are very stressed, there is a tendency to avoid actively listening to music. Perhaps it feels like a waste of time, not helping to achieve anything. But as we know, productivity increases when stress is reduced, so this is another area where you can gain vast rewards. It just takes a small effort to begin with.

To incorporate music into a busy life, try playing CDs in the car, or put the radio on when in the bath or shower. Take portable music with you when walking the dog, or put the stereo on instead of the TV. A person with clinical depression or bipolar disorder might listen to music to help with their worst, lowest moods.

Singing (or shouting) along can also be a great release of tension, and karaoke is very enjoyable for some extroverts! Calming music before bedtime promotes peace and relaxation and helps to induce sleep.

Research on Music

Music has been used for hundreds of years to treat illnesses and restore harmony between mind and body. But more recently, scientific studies have attempted to measure the potential benefits of music. These research studies have found:

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Music's form and structure can bring order and security to disabled and distressed children. It encourages coordination and communication, so improves their quality of life.

Listening to music on headphones reduces stress and anxiety in hospital patients before and after surgery.

Music can help reduce both the sensation and distress of both chronic pain and postoperative pain.

Listening to music can relieve depression and increase self-esteem ratings in elderly people.

Making music can reduce burnout and improve mood among nursing students.

Music therapy significantly reduces emotional distress and boosts quality of life among adult cancer patients.

You can review some of the more recent research on how music helps to relieve stress here.

Meditation

Certain music is appropriate for meditation as it can help the mind slow down and initiate the relaxation response. However, not all peaceful or "New Age" music works for everyone. Music with no structure can be irritating or even unsettling. Gentle music with a familiar melody more often is comforting. But search around to find what produces a sense of calm, familiarity, and centeredness for you as an individual.

The sounds of nature often are incorporated into CDs made specifically for relaxation. For example, the sound of water can be soothing for some people. It can help conjure up calming images such as lying beside a mountain stream on a warm spring day. Birdsong may also be of use as an aid to help your mind slow down and release stressful thoughts.

The Power of Music To Reduce Stress

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Jane Collingwood

Jane Collingwood is a longtime regular contributing journalist to Psych Central, focusing on topics of mental health and dissecting recent research findings.

APA Reference
Collingwood, J. (2020). The Power of Music To Reduce Stress. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 9, 2020, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress/

Last updated: 29 Jul 2020 (Originally: 17 May 2016)
Last reviewed: By a member of our scientific advisory board on 29 Jul 2020
Published on Psych Central.com. All rights reserved.

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The soothing power of music is well-established. It has a unique link to our emotions, so can be an extremely effective stress management tool. Listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music.