In the hustle and bustle of modern life, anxiety has become an all-too-common companion for many. The relentless demands of work, personal life, and a never-ending stream of digital information can leave us feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained. While professional therapy is a valuable resource, not everyone has easy access to it, and the idea of sharing personal anxieties with a therapist can be daunting.
Enter art therapy—a creative and accessible approach that allows individuals to express their emotions and manage anxiety in a non-verbal, deeply personal way. A study found that 79% of participants experienced increased self-esteem and a more positive self-image after participating in art therapy sessions. This highlights the potential for art therapy to promote personal growth and a healthy self-concept in individuals of all ages.
This therapeutic practice leverages the power of visual expression, offering a means to navigate the complex labyrinth of anxious thoughts and feelings. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, art therapy provides a channel for self-expression and emotional exploration that anyone can tap into from the comfort of their own home.
In this blog, we’ll explore a variety of art therapy exercises that you can try at home, regardless of your artistic skill level. These exercises, backed by research and studies, provide immediate relief when anxiety strikes and offer long-term strategies for managing its grip on your life. Whether you’re looking to calm your nerves, redirect your focus, or simply gain a better understanding of your emotions, these art therapy techniques can be a powerful tool in your anxiety management toolkit.
So, grab your art supplies, clear a space for creativity, and embark on a journey of self-discovery and anxiety relief through the world of art therapy.
Below is a summary of some of the benefits of art therapy for helping with anxiety:
- Calms the nervous system
- Acts as a distraction
- Interrupts rumination
- Encourages focus on one thing
- Increases self-esteem from the act of creating something
- Reduces over-stimulation from external sources
- Provides tactile stimulation
- Venting, releasing stress
- Useful when verbal expression is limited
- Encourages “play”
The following exercises can provide immediate relief when feeling anxious and can be done on your own.
Embrace coloring books
Coloring books offer a structured and unintimidating canvas for self-expression (since there’s already an outline so you don’t feel anxious about not knowing how to draw)), making them an ideal choice for managing anxiety. In fact, studies show that structured coloring of geometric patterns, such as mandalas found in coloring books, can induce a meditative state that benefits individuals suffering from anxiety1.
Their portability also ensures you can access a calming activity wherever you go.
Make mandala art
Owing to the boundaries of the graphics, Mandala art’s intricate circular patterns offer both control and tranquility. This ancient art form helps with feelings of anxiety as they require focused attention to create the patterns. Engaging in this repetitive, rhythmic process can thus reduce heightened emotions.
Moreover, research suggests that coloring mandalas may induce a meditative state that proves helpful for those experiencing anxiety.The repetition of patterns and rhythmic movements help to reduce heightened emotions.
Scribbling on paper
Scribbling offers a liberating experience, freeing individuals from the expectation of creating a perfect image. Your scribbles can serve as a reflection of your emotional state.
Researchers suggest that the way you scribble can provide insight into your emotions—tangled lines may reveal nervous energy, while pressing hard might indicate a release of tension.
Create affirmation cards
Affirmation cards are a valuable coping strategy to empower individuals to combat anxiety with positive self-talk. You can transform playing cards or index cards into intention cards with affirmations printed or written on them (You can write anything positive to yourself, even if it’s one word like ‘breathe,’ or a short phrase like, ‘I am strong.’) and carry them with you in a wallet or purse.
Examples include:
- This too shall pass
- Breathe calmly
- I am calm
- I live in peace
- The future is good
- I am free
- I am not in danger, just uncomfortable
- This will become easier
- I have control over my thoughts
When you feel anxious, you can look at the affirmation card and reflect on the affirmation to help deal with the anxious feelings.
Craft a peaceful collage
Crafting a collage representing a safe and serene place, such as the beach or mountains, allows you to mentally transport yourself to a peaceful environment.
Art therapy works by distracting from anxiety and facilitating cognitive disruption, shifting your focus away from worrisome thoughts. This redirection aids in regulating the nervous system.
Mind-Body Connection
Our thoughts and feelings can affect how our body feels, and how our body feels can influence our thoughts and feelings.
In this exercise, grab a pen or pencil and draw an outline of a person’s body. But before you start, take a minute to think about how your body feels right now. Do you notice any tension, pain, or discomfort in any part of your body?
As you draw the body outline, keep in mind these physical sensations you’ve noticed. Let them guide your drawing.
1 Minute Brain Dump
Expressing your anxieties within a tight one-minute timeframe offers a chance to externalize worries without overthinking or rationalizing. This practice helps bring clarity and diminishes the emotional grip anxiety holds.
Draw a large circle to represent a thought bubble. Inside the thought bubble, draw or write words to brain dump all of the issues you are currently feeling anxious about. Do this exercise in a minute.
Gratitude Journaling
Jotting down thoughts of gratitude can provide a welcomed respite from anxiety-ridden contemplation. Studies indicate that practicing gratitude can enhance overall well-being and mental health.
Whether you prefer stream-of-consciousness writing or structured ideas, the mere act of gratitude journaling can offer significant emotional relief.
This exercise can be done generally by exploring all facets of your life or it can be done with a specific focus on a situation that is causing you anxiety. For eg. If a situation at work is causing anxiety, the gratitude journaling could focus on things to be grateful about in their employment outside of the stressful situation that exists, i.e. helpful colleagues, good pay, interesting work etc.
Note: Art therapy that occurs with a qualified art therapist may encourage you to delve deep into emotions. To experience the complete therapeutic effects of art, consider reaching out to a trained and credentialed art therapist.
For those wanting to lean into art during their grief, Laurie Copmann’s “The Family Tree the Night of the Storm” is an excellent choice. The book delves into the emotional complexities of dealing with loss, offering readers not just a story but a lifeline. It’s a resource that counselors and grief camps have turned to, time and again, to help people find their way back to light. Through intricate fabric illustrations and a compelling narrative, Laurie Copmann has created a world where every reader can find a piece of themselves.
