Art Therapy for stress

Stress and worries have become part and parcel of our lives. Sometimes the management of stress and responsibilities of lives becomes difficult. 
Art therapy could prove to be the best remedy for those under constant stress. It helps to give expression to the inner feelings. Art is a technique which gives expression to the feelings in the absence of words. 
Here one can find the benefits of art therapy to get rid of stress. 

Art of mask making
Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons by
Raccolte Extraeuropee del Castello Sforzesco

Draw a Line
Art therapy does not demand the establishment of stress free or tension free thoughts. It does not need any masterpiece to be produced. Here the main objective is to pick up a pencil and draw anything, as the art therapy just needs a natural expression.  It is not to compose any artificial form. 
During stress one may not be able to draw a perfect picture. One can draw aimless figures on any book or even on a piece of newspaper in art therapy.  

Have Focus
A research on pain or stress management confirmed that art removes stress and even alleviates the pain associated with dangerous diseases like cancer. It is not necessary to draw anything, if on physical levels one feels oneself to be unable to perform in art form. 
In such situations one can focus on other things of nature like going in a park of watching the birds on trees and get completely engrossed in it. One can visit any art exhibition and intently inspect or understand the artistic maneuvers involved in the composition of that particular art. This method is attractive and involving. 

Meditate to Remove Stress
Art therapy is a therapy in which the person gets completely involved in the works of art. This method of treatment to remove stress is proving to better than the traditional way of meditation.  Art therapy could be imagined in the form of flow art in the absence of rules or software programme or medical tools. 

Be a Child with a Child
The children prefer and like the natural tendencies in artistic things. They do not care how the thing was made while the adults focus on ultimate or end results. Whether the picture is prize winning or not depends upon if it removes or increases the stress respectively. Another time when you bring a new box of colors make sure to use them in the company of children.  Pay attention to what they speak and do and imitate them. By acting and behaving like children one feels to be one of them and this association will helps in alleviating the stress. 

Put love in art Form
Composing any handmade craft with the feeling of love is the highest form of art therapy. Now stitching and knitting is not the forte of women only as the women are not confined to homes. It has been discovered that the craft work made by hands is very important part of life. 
The handmade crafts associate us with real world and the time spent in the making of the craft makes those very moments pleasing and cheerful. 

Music in Art Therapy
Based on non verbal communication, the music is played before the patient and they are also asked to play the music themselves in art therapy. While listening to the music the patients start playing the drums. In this way the patient gets rid of stress.

Benefits of Art Therapy
In art therapy the children are made to express their thoughts in their own language in which they feel comfortable. They learn social skills in the process on one hand and gain self confidence on the other. The following benefits have been found in art therapy in various researches.

1. It increases the self- confidence of the patient.  

2. The negativity of every form in the psyche decreases considerably. 

3. The loss of inspiration in any work also gets reduced. 

4. It creates interest in conversation which generally gets reduced during stressful moments.

5. It increases social and emotional attachment.

6. It gives mental and physical benefits. 

7. It alleviates pain, stress and anxiety.

8. It helps in recovery from emotional shocks.

9. Art therapy also helps in cancer, post traumatic stress and bipolar disorder. 

10. It helps in the treatment of patients. 

Let the Tears Fall for Health

Like laughing, the weeping is also necessary for health. Whenever you are sad and feel like crying, then do not stop the tears but allow them to fall. 

Tears are good for health
Wikimedia Commons by Reji Jacob

The recent researches too have corroborated the fact, that the tears give relief and drive away from several diseases. They are good for the health of the heart. 

They are the pearls of health. But excessive weeping is not good and is counterproductive.

The forbidden tears are not good for health as they may cause stress, depression, pensiveness, anger, dissatisfaction and irritation, and illness. 

The Greeks and Romans were well acquainted with these facts. That is why Aristotle coined the term “catharsis” in tragedy, meaning the expurgation of the soul. Because the tragedy arouses the feeling of pity and fear which remain dormant in our psyche.

The tears are helpful to cure several health problems, like headache, stiff neck, giddiness, etc. 

According to psychiatrists, the women live longer, because they relieve their hearts by shedding few tears, while the men get involved in several health problems by controlling their tears, due to their ego or the social stigma, or the reason that the brave man should not weep, or tears are for the cowards. 

So whenever there is any mental shock, just shed few tears and become fresh and sprightly like a child.

Bury the Worry

The worries often make us worried and kill the positive thoughts by creating a hollow inside us like a termite eating into the wooden core.

Be Happy

Wikimedia Commons by top-beautiful-women.com

The worries entail a thought process which creates doubt about the imaginary effects of the outcomes of the actions or incidents in future. This effect goes on increasing if not checked or left unabated.

The thoughts generated by the worries always have a negative form. That is why the worried person becomes weak, instead of being healthy and strong.

A person being helpless is unable to control the outcomes and remain under stress due to worries.

Imagine that if a ship begins thinking then it would get worried or feared on visualizing its fate before the high tides and tempestuous waves. The panic of the waves swallowing the ship would forbid the ship from leaving the port. But it is worth remembering that a ship has to face just a single wave at a time and the whole sea is not coming after it. But the ship cannot think and has no worries about its destiny on waves.

Similarly if we get worried about the problems and the outcomes, we certainly would shut all the doors of development, peace and health. Worries inhibit all growths and movements, as they block the way by standing before us with it army of doubts, disbelief, indecision and imaginary or negative thoughts and we lose sight of any inspiration. Sometimes it may lead to depression.

One should never remain alone and brood over the things, if the mind is full of doubts, worries and negative thoughts. In such a situation it is better to talk to someone, or get involved in some work, as the mind would remain busy in the work and the doubts would disappear. It is a positive escapism.

 Another remedy is to make friendship with people of positive disposition as they would help you to alleviate your mind of negative and useless thoughts.

The people, who often curse themselves for being unlucky generally, reach the station when the train has left. Some imagine about the effects of bad weather, before beginning the journey or become afraid of their plane crash or failure in exam before the declaration of result. But there are some bold people who always keep moving without getting a least worried about the outcomes.

What has been done cannot be undone.