In this day and age, stress has become an inevitable part of everyone’s life. With so many people tackling so many things at once, almost everyone seems to be overloaded. One way to improve your mental health is through art therapy. Have you ever felt a sense of calm when you picked up a brush, wrote in your journal, or just started coloring? Over the years, several studies have shown the positive effects of art therapy on mental health. This World Mental Health Day, let’s discover how all it takes is 45 minutes of art therapy to manage your stress levels.
Art therapy for mental health
Art therapy is the practice of using creative techniques to treat psychological problems and improve mental well-being. The practice of art therapy is based on the idea that artistic expression can promote recovery and mental health, according to a study published in The Arts in Psychotherapy. The goal of art therapy is to help people use self-expression as a way to develop new skills and release their emotions instead of bottling them up. Studies have shown that people could explore their emotions, become more self-aware, learn to manage stress and improve their social skills by creating or appreciating art.
45 minutes of art therapy is enough to manage stress
A study published in An International Journal for Research, Policy, and Practice found that practicing art for just 45 minutes can lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. For the study, the researchers enrolled 39 healthy adults aged 18-59, including 33 women and 6 men. An art therapist led 45 minutes of individual art making in an open studio environment for the study. Before and after the art session, participants completed surveys including the Positive and
Negative affect schema and general self-efficacy scale. Participants provided brief summaries of their artwork and comments about their art-making process at the end of the session. It was found that making free art in this context significantly reduced stress by inducing positivity and improving self-efficacy.
So if life is too hard for you, go to art for 45 minutes to avoid stress. Managing stress is as important a task as anything else in your life. Art can be something that can help you change the emotional and mental state you are stuck in. Practicing art regularly can help improve your overall health, including your mental health.
Also read: How art can help you improve your mood
Types of art therapy to reduce stress and improve mental health
If you’ve been feeling overly stressed lately and are looking for simple yet effective ways to improve mental health and reduce stress levels, try these therapies. Here are some of the best art therapies to reduce stress:
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1. Dance
Do you like dancing? Well, you’re in for a treat as it can help reduce stress levels significantly. It is known as dance or movement therapy and is one of the most effective methods of promoting emotional, social, physical and cognitive health. A study published in The Arts in Psychotherapy shows that dance movement therapy helps reduce stress. It turned out that stress was significantly reduced after 6 months of dance therapy.
2. Staining
Have you ever tried mandala coloring? Studies have shown that coloring is a healthy way to calm the brain and help the body relax, relieving stress. Because it helps relieve stress and promote relaxation, it can also help induce sleep. If you’re looking for ways to ward off stress, try coloring as it can help!
Also read: Color your way to a stress-free life with these coloring books for adults
3. Pottery
People who practice pottery often call it therapeutic and relaxing. This is because it calms their mind and relieves stress. Studies have also shown that making pottery can relieve stress and improve your mental health.
4. Writing
Have you ever written a poem or paragraph about how you feel right now? Sometimes putting your emotions on paper helps you deal with the stress in life. According to Harvard Health Publishing, writing about your thoughts and feelings about a stressful time in life can help overcome the problem.
5. Drawing and painting
Stress can leave you in a constant state of uneasiness that affects everything from your sleep schedule to your appetite. Something as simple as putting pencil to paper can help you gain control of your thoughts and manage your stress levels. A study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association shows that just 20 minutes of drawing can help reduce stress and improve mood.