How Art Helps Depression and Anxiety: Ways Creativity Can Improve Mental Health

        I never thought of myself as being good at art. I am sure my I was terrible at art as a child. I do not remember having confidence in doing anything art related. My attempts at drawing were criticized. A strange thing has happened as I have learned to search for ways to cope with depression. I discovered art. 

                  As I have found art helping me cope with depression and anxiety, I have wanted to learn more about how art helps and different ways I can engage with art. I thought I would share what I have discovered. Art is a tool and a craft. It can be a passion and a distraction. Art can be anything we want it to be. 

                  Creating art and appreciating the arts can help us cope with depression and anxiety. It is important to note that art does not replace mental health treatment. Art can be a useful coping tool when we are struggling or even to keep us doing well. We can add art making and appreciating art to our mental health toolkits.

How Does Art Help with Depression and Anxiety

There are several ways that art helps with depression. Here are a few:

·      Provides Emotional Expression: Art, in its many forms can help us express our emotions when we cannot find the words. Often, expressing emotions can be difficult when we are struggling with depression or anxiety. Art can provide alternate ways to express emotions. Whether it is drawing, painting, sculpting, writing, music, dance, and other forms of art all invite us to express ourselves. Sometimes art allows us to express emotions that are difficult to express in words. 

·      Reduces Stress in the Moment: When we focus on doing art there is a shift in our attention. We can escape the emotions or stresses we are experiencing because of depression or anxiety. We can escape into a painting projects or lose ourselves in a drawing. The thoughts, worries, or feelings of depression or anxiety do not necessarily disappear, instead they take a backseat to whatever we are creating. 

·      Create a Sense of Accomplishment: When we complete even a small art project, we feel a sense of accomplishment. It might be something as simple as a quick drawing or pouring paint on a canvas. We can see what we have created, and this allows us to feel like we have done something. When our motivation is low, it can help to see ourselves making progress on something. 

·      Encourages Mindfulness: When we are engaging in artistic activities, we pay close attention to colors, sounds, textures, and movement. Focusing on these can interrupt thought patterns that are common with depression and anxiety, such as rumination and negative thought patterns. This is a part of mindfulness.

·      Builds Connections: When we engage in art sometimes, we are drawn to share our art or take art classes. This can reduce isolation. We might go to a Paint Nite or go to the local craft store. We might find enjoyment and connection in going to an art exhibit or a concert. 

·      Helps People Understand Themselves: We may find that we understand aspects of our emotions when we look at our art. We may find patterns that help us understand something about ourselves. We may recognize emotional patterns, personal strengths, or changes in mood that we do not recognize in our day-to-day routines. 

 

Process of Creating

                  Using art to help with mood or anxiety is not about the finished product. It is more about the process. It is about how we feel as we are creating. We might simply create art for the sake of creating it. We can focus on how a particular art medium feels in our hands or what it feels like to doodle on a page. 

                  I have a sketchbook that is just for drawing circles in different patterns when I am feeling anxious or need to calm myself. I focus on drawing the circles in a set pattern. This takes away pressure to have a perfect finished product. 

                  Simple activities such as doodling, taking pictures, molding a piece of clay, or practicing an instrument can be calming and distracting. The practice is the important thing is engaging in an art activity. Let’s look at some simple ways we can engage in the process of creating.

                  Simple Ways to Create

·      Doodling for ten minutes

·      Coloring in a coloring book

·      Make a collage using magazine pictures and stickers

·      Journaling – maybe add some sketches

·      Work with clay or play dough

·      Take photos of things you find interesting

·      Pour paint over a glass jar (there are pouring paints for this)

·      Paint a paint by number canvas

·      Crochet or knit

·      Embroider a small square every day

 

We may need to learn some of these forms of art. That is a good thing. Learning a new skill helps us build confidence and encourages us to engage in something. If there is an art form we would like to learn, we can probably find a video or tutorial on YouTube to guide us. We can also venture out to our local craft store if we are up to it.

No Judgement

You do not have to be great at art to benefit. The process is the important part. We are not looking for masterpieces. We can just enjoy the act of making. As we enjoy the process, we will gain benefits from the art. It can be relaxing, distracting, or just fun. The important thing is not to stress over the art. We want to enjoy what we are making. No one is going to judge our art. We can decide if we share it with others. Our art is for us. 

 

Personal Experience

                  As I mentioned, in my younger years, I did not feel like I was good at art. I avoided most art activities. The exception would be writing, but I did not realize writing was art until much later. 

                  My introduction to art came a few years ago when a friend took me to a Paint Nite. I was not sure I would like it, but I wanted to spend time with my friend. So, we went. I followed the teacher’s instructions. It was fun. At the end of the night, I had a painting I was proud of. Slowly, I started trying painting on my own. Eventually, I discovered paint pouring and fell in love with it. Watching the colors mix soothes me and helps ease the anxiety. Now, I try to find time to paint whenever I can. Sometimes it is hard to motivate myself when I am feeling depressed, but I try. I actually enjoy the practice of art, and I am improving. I am branching out into drawing and coloring. Maybe I will try other art forms. I do not create masterpieces in any way, but I enjoy the practice of making art. I like gifting my art even if my art does not meet masterpiece standards.

                  I recognize the benefits of art in my life. It is now a tool in my coping strategies toolkit. I encourage you to give art a try. You may find that you like it and can add it to your coping strategies toolkit.

 

How to Cope with Depression and Anxiety: 5 Practical Strategies That Help Me Every Day

                  The third anniversary of this blog just passed on June 16. I missed it. Let’s look forward, though. With depression we absolutely need to look forward. I have shared different ideas for dealing with depression. We need to remember that there are always things we can try to ease our depression. Today, I am going to share a few things I am trying to help with my depression and anxiety. Often, both depression and anxiety hit me at the same time. So, some of my strategies help me with both. 

Interrupting the Depression Loop with a Playlist

                  Listening to music can help break the negative loop depression goes on. Many of us with depression experience negative thoughts or ideas running through our minds. It may seem like these thoughts are on a loop because they happen so frequently. I find that if I focus on lyrics when listening to music, I can interrupt the depression loop or anxiety spiral.  What the lyrics are saying is not as important as just syncing into those lyrics, although there are some great lyrics out there to connect to. I try to learn the lyrics of songs I like. Even if it is only for the brief moments the song is playing, I can distract myself with the lyrics. 

                  I have several playlists on my phone. They are for different moods and meet different needs. Creating the playlists is another way of disrupting the depression loop or stopping the anxiety spiral. Deciding on music that meets certain needs or helps certain moods can help us find hope in addition to the distraction. Let me give you an example of a mood lifting playlist. A few years ago, I worked at a school where the environment was contributing heavily to my depression and anxiety. I created a “Morning Work Drive” playlist. The songs played long enough to fill my commute. The lyrics of these songs spoke to me, and they were all by some of my favorite musicians. This playlist gave my mood a boost before I arrived at work, which helped with my mood once I was there. In all honesty, I still had to leave that position at the end of the school year, but the playlist helped me reach the end.

                  If music is something you find comforting or soothing, try making playlists and tuning into the lyrics of your favorite songs. Those lyrics might be able to replace that depression loop or anxiety spiral.

 

Walking and Noticing

                  Walking is known to help improve mood. There is a lot of research out there about this. Rather than go through the research I will just share my experience. 

Walking is the exercise I lean into. I used to walk by myself. I would often combine listening to music with my walks. Being alone and just walking without purpose helped me. Somehow it cleared my head. Some days it worked better than others. That is something to remember with anything you try to ease depression and/or anxiety. Some days they work better than others. 

                  Now, I walk with my dog. Getting a dog and having to walk her has given me a way to escape from my thoughts. I try to follow what my dog is doing. Like all dogs she stops to sniff. I try to follow her lead. No, I do not sniff, but I do stop and notice my surroundings. I try to notice what I see, smell, and hear. As I am noticing my surroundings, I am taking my mind away from the depression loop or the anxiety spiral. I try to name what I am noticing. That gets my mind using words other than what depression and anxiety want me to hear. It is an interruption. That interruption is important. When there is an interruption in the depression loop or anxiety spiral, it keeps them from pulling us in. 

                  I find that if I walk at a good pace in between the stops to notice (and for my dog to sniff), I get my heart rate up. This makes me feel better physically. Depression causes a feeling of being physically drained and heavy. Noticing as I walk makes me feel a little lighter. When I feel better physically, I can let my mind relax. That sounds easier than it is. One walk is not going to change things. It is the practice of committing to walking that makes the difference. You do not need a dog. Just get out there and take a few steps. Maybe the first walk is only five minutes or just to the corner. That is okay. Just get out there and walk. 

 

Journaling

                  I share a lot about how writing helps me heal. It is a major part of how I cope with depression and anxiety that barrels down on me. Journaling is only one form of writing I use. With journaling I tend to write whatever I am feeling or thinking in the moment I have my pen poised over my journal. I use journaling to brain dump. Is that a legitimate term? I do not know, but I am going to use it because it aptly describes what I am doing. I am letting everything flow out of me. I journal to free my mind. I journal to process the thoughts and feelings in my head. My journal gives me a space to store everything. Once my words are stored in my journals, I can choose if or when I go back and reread them. Rereading can be a form of processing. It can also allow us to see where we have come from. 

                  Other times when I use prompts that I find online or in books. Prompts can help guide our writing, which can prevent us from getting stuck on a specific idea. This can be important if we have been journaling about something painful and need a break. Trust your gut as to whether you should be writing whatever you need to get out of your head or whether you need the distraction of a prompt. 

 

Meditative Drawing

                  Again, I am using a term that I made up for something I am doing. I did not look up whether this is a real thing or if this term is already in use. For me meditative drawing started from two conversations with mental health professionals. First, my psychologist mentioned I could try drawing when I did not want to deal with words. It was an alternative to journaling. I quickly bought a sketchbook, drawing pencils, and ink pens. The problem was I knew I was not good at drawing. So, the sketchbook and drawing implements sat untouched even though I meant to give it a try and kept telling myself I would.

                  Then the psychiatric nurse practitioner who leads my TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) treatment suggested I try creating a pattern that I drew repeatedly when I was struggling with depression or anxiety. She suggested using circles. Somehow that made drawing seem easier. I pulled out the sketchbook and have been drawing simple designs, mostly variations of the same one. I use different colors to express different emotions or feelings. I always title the drawing at the bottom. The title reflects whatever I was thinking or the purpose the drawing was meant to serve. 

                  Drawing circles helps me. It slows my anxious thoughts, and it quiets my depressive thoughts. I do not know how this is working. I can just tell you that it is working. I am benefiting from drawing. 

 

Breathing

                  Breathing practice is something I struggle with, but I wanted to include here because I am trying it. I know it benefits many people. I am confident that if I keep it simple, I will improve at using breathing practices. 

                  Breathing practice helps us relax when we are agitated or anxious. This happens when the breathing practice slows our heart rate down. Breathing practices can help us bring our focus to something when we are struggling with depression. It does this by shifting our focus within in our brain by decreasing activity in certain areas of the brain and increasing it in others.

                  There are many ways to focus on our breathing. I think the simplest way might be inhaling for a count of four and then exhaling for a count of eight. 

Let’s take a quick look at a few breathing practices:

·      Box Breathing (also known as the 4-4-4-4 Technique)

o   Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds

This can help calm acute panic, lower immediate stress, and sharpen focus.

 

·      Diaphragmatic Breathing 

o   Focus on deeply breathing into the stomach instead of the chest. 

This type of breathing can reduce physical tension and stabilize our baseline mood.

 

·      4-7-8 Breathing

o   Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale forcefully for 8 seconds

This can help manage anxiety, stop racing thoughts, and can help us fall asleep faster.

 

·      Physiological Sigh

o   Two quick inhales through the nose followed by one long exhale through the mouth

This can stop stress. It also lowers heart rate.

 

·      Alternate Nostril Breathing (also known as Nadi Shodhana)

o   When breathing alternate blocking one nostril at a time during inhalations and exhalations. 

This can help balance the nervous system. It also reduces mental clutter and eases mild depression.

 

Final Thoughts

                  Living with depression, anxiety, or other mental illness is not easy. In addition to the work we do with our mental health care professional, medication, therapy, and treatment, we need to find ways that we can manage our mental health. We need to engage in practices that help us live with our illness. We cannot leave all our healing up to our mental health care professionals. They are important in treating us and supporting us, but we share in the work to bring healing. In this post I have shared some ways we can improve our mental health. The practices are meant to bring some relief. They are meant provide support. They are not meant to cure us or replace our treatment. These practices help us become active in our own healing. I caution that there will be ups and downs. Still, I encourage you to try whatever strikes you as something you would be able to do or would like to do. 

                  When we live with mental illness, we need to be willing to work on our mental health. We need to be willing to give things a try. We need to be active in trying to heal.