When small children are asked to express how they are feeling, they are often given crayons to do so. That is because we highly correlate our emotions to different colors. Bright reds, dark blues, neon yellow—each of these colors mean something special to every one of us, and sometimes when words fail these colors can brightly relay exactly what we are trying to say.
During times of stress it can pay to remember this simple coping mechanism. Your medical weight loss program in East Brunswick is going to bring stress into your life. You may consider it positive stress, as each stressor and challenge you encounter will put you one step closer to your health and wellness goals, but this stress can weigh on you nevertheless.
Coping with stress is easier said than done. Many people have negative, unhealthy coping strategies that need to be overcome, such as emotional eating or other destructive behaviors. Art therapy introduces healthy strategies for coping with stress that will help clear your mind and develop a more positive mood as you overcome life’s challenges.
Here are a few different forms of art that will help you cope with stress:
- Draw a picture: Sometimes even doodling on a piece of paper can reduce stress. The repetitive motions of drawing lines, the artistic expression involved in drawing and the need to divert your attention to your work all help to reduce stress and can help you find added perspective amidst a stressful situation.
- Write a poem: Getting words out of your head can help you calm down and overcome stress. Poetry is especially nice because it is abstract—there is no need to write down exactly what is bothering you (unless you want to, of course). Poetry can help you capture your emotions and feelings in bite-size increments so that you can move on and calm down.
- Cooking: It is not a good idea to connect stress with food. Emotional eating is a big problem for many people and it can lead to overeating and trouble losing weight. However, cooking is a way to shift your emotional eating habits in a healthy fashion. When you are feeling stressed start planning the healthy meal you are going to cook. Kick everyone out of your kitchen and de-stress as you sauté vegetables and pan sear lean meats. Healthy cooking is a form of activity that requires an artistic mindset.
What other forms of art have helped you to manage stress in the past? Share your thoughts and experiences in a comment below.
