Let’s face it; most of us are so busy running around every day that we barely have any time to unwind and relax. Relaxation is not just a ‘nice’ thing to do once in a while, but it is absolutely essential for the proper maintenance and repair of your mind and body.
A balanced diet and regular exercise are the first steps to taking care of your physical and emotional well-being, but it is also important that you make time to express yourself creatively. Painting is one way you can do that!
Creative hobbies like painting aren’t just a way to relax and soothe your mind. They are also scientifically proven to promote stress relief, combat anxiety, and make you feel more motivated. Here are 5 reasons why painting can help you relax:
Lowers Stress
Like it or not, anxiety and stress have become part and parcel of our daily lives – and the worst part is that both of them feed off each other. Creative activities like painting are a great way to combat these ‘evil twins’ because they allow you to focus on something entirely different. When your mind is occupied creatively, you have less time to overthink or obsess over things that cause you stress. Plus, the added feeling of achievement can go a long way in improving your mental health.
Harbor a Creative Soul
Humans are born to be creative. None of the things we have today would have been here if we didn’t dare to think creatively. That said, most of us live pretty un-creative lives these days. We go through our days living by rules set for us by someone else and barely have the time to challenge these practices.
Painting is a way to bring creativity back into your life. It’s a good way to stimulate the right side of your brain, which is in charge of critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Stimulate Emotional Growth
Painting is a good activity to get in touch with your emotional self because it is very therapeutic. Analyzing the artwork of children – or even adults – is a tool used by psychologists to help them better understand the mindset of their patients. One doesn’t have to be an artist to express themselves through painting. Even a “bad” painting can do a lot to help a person release pent-up emotions. It can be a way to find a moment of peace amidst the chaos where one can just sit and let themselves feel entirely; thereby encouraging emotional growth.
Flow State of Mind
You know when you’re in that rare state of mind where you’re singularly focused on the task at hand, barely recognizing the world around you, thinking of nothing other than what you’re doing right now? That’s the psychological condition called a flow state of mind. In other words, this is what some might refer to as being “in the zone”.
The flow state of mind isn’t easy to achieve, but creative activities may help you get there faster. If you’re wondering why it’s good to get into a flow state, it’s because it gives your mind a moment to relax and wind down while still stimulating all the right parts of it. In short, there is a flawless execution of commands from the brain that occurs without the brain having to work too hard for it.
Enhances Memory
Would you believe that there is a connection between painting and memory? Well, believe it! In fact, all creative activities will help your brain sharpen itself in several areas, and this includes memory as well. Remember how we talked about painting being an excellent way to exercise the right side of your brain? It turns out that the right side is also what’s in charge of your memory!
This is how painting helps enhance your memory power. By making a painting – or a variety of creative activities – a regular habit, you can not only help your body calm down from physical stress but also help enhance your mental health and brain power.
