Life moves fast. Sometimes so fast that we miss most of it. Anxiety permeates the air. The feeling of always rushing, fear that you won’t be on time to meet some nebulous goal; that feeling overshadows the experiences available to us only in the present. How can you integrate stress relief into your daily life?
Studies show that stress and anxiety continues to grow in American society. And it’s no surprise that this pace of life takes a toll on our mental and emotional well-being.
Stressful Days
How many times have you woken up and wished the day could already be over so you could get back to this bed? How many times do you get up, but sleepwalk through the day, with barely enough energy and little engagement?
Or maybe you jump up each morning excited for the new day…but you get overwhelmed sometimes and feel like it’s Groundhog Day. (If you haven’t watched this movie, do!)
Creativity as an Outlet
Finding creative outlets allows us to flex the power of our imagination. The imagination allows us to turn off the worries and anxieties of every day life and experience the art of creating.
The pressures of work and family and other responsibilities can consume our minds, leaving us distracted, overwhelmed and anxious. This makes it hard to take time to pause and appreciate the present moment.
Untie the Knots
If stress tangles us up inside, imagination can tease out the knots over time. Imagination is limitless; our thoughts can wander freely, away from the constraints of reality. When we engage our creative mind we can transport ourselves from the “here” present moment, to a world where stress is ignored and our emotions are at peace.
Bones Aren’t Creative, Silly
But some might say, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body!” Everyone has the ability to be creative. Using your mind to think outside your comfort zone is scary. And often people fear that creative has to equate to talent or skill to be “worth while.”
I say that’s asinine. You don’t have to be Pablo Picasso or Stephen King or Taylor Swift or Martha Stewart to be creative. You can give a 2 year old a crayon and what they use the crayon for is a display of creativity.
I, for instance, love to sing. I have always loved to sing. The problem? I am not naturally talented at it. Said more bluntly, no one wants to hear me belting out my favorites. But I enjoy it, even if I never sing in front of anyone again. (avoid tequila and karaoke combo.) Turning the volume up in the car and singing along with my favorite songs makes me feel good. It calms me and it keeps me engaged in the present moment.
Choose Your Creative Outlets
Still struggling to find something that could be a creative outlet for you? Think back to your childhood. What kinds of things did you enjoy doing? How could you do the same types of activities and get the same type of calming as you did when you were young?
For example…did you love play-doh as a kid? Who didn’t, really? So as an adult why not take a ceramics class. Or make your own clay ornaments. Or just buy a can of play doh?
The objective isn’t to make an amazing cake pan or to decorate your holiday tree. It’s to quiet the thoughts in your brain focus on something that you enjoy.
I took a ceramics class as a middle-aged lady. I didn’t want to learn to make cups. I already know that’s not my thing, and that I don’t have the talent or the passion for it. But something about taking a big chunk of clay and getting dirty feels refreshing in a way that few things can replicate.
My neighbor in the class was a young lady with a 3 year old at home who she was concerned had autism. She was in the process of breaking up with her long-term boyfriend. She only got this one night a week out of the house and she chose to be here, in a safe space, surrounded by others that were fleeing from their own problems.
Behind us was a Grandmother who was lonely and just wanted to paint her clay piece surrounded by others.
There was a 20-something whose beloved Grandma had just passed away. She made clay Christmas ornaments in her memory.
There was a 30-something guy who was getting ready to propose to the love of his life. He was nervous but so excited to move into the next phase of his relationship.
There I was. In a class with people I didn’t know, for 2 hours each week all of the roles I play in life were left outside that door. They only knew me as a lady who spent 2 hours on a thumb sized duck, was always late and sometimes talked a lot.
All of the other things I am on a regular basis they had never known. Not as a Mom. Not as an employee. Not as a friend, even. Just a lady in a class where everyone had their own reason for being there but the vibe was one of sanctuary and escape.
Other Creative Pursuits
- Painting or drawing
- Writing
- Music
- Dance and Movement (any kind of dance, gymnastics, yoga)
- Crafts (this is a free for all category! Literally any activity that is a hands-on creative process counts!–Crochet, make porcelain baby dolls, make earrings, make your own wine…any.thing.)
You can fit anything into the crafts category. Quite literally any activity that is a hands-on process counts!–Crochet, make porcelain baby dolls, make earrings, make your own wine…Any.Thing.
The Amazing World of the Brain
Engaging the brain in creative activities triggers it in specific ways. Stress-reducing hormones, such as dopamine, are released. The levels of cortisol decrease and these changes allow us to experience a sense of relaxation and calm.
When an adult brings a coloring book to a restaurant for a child…this is why. A child, when absorbed in creative activity, can forget that they are bored, and in a strange place outside their routine zone.
As an adult you can use this same tactic on yourself. Feeling out of sorts? Book an evening alone to color by number with a rainbow of sharpies. Learn how to make bath bombs and gift them to everyone you know in between soaking and smelling delightful. Learn how to twerk in the privacy of your living room.
Just let your brain have fun. It’s job really does suck most of the time.