Are you looking for a simple, straightforward way to reduce anxiety? Yeah, me too! And I think art journaling may be one of the best ways to do it.
What Causes Stress and Anxiety?
You know what causes stress? Your thoughts! You may not yet be aware of them, but they’re swirling through your mind all day long, and most of them aren’t very pleasant.
They say things like “You’re not getting enough done!” and “You’ll never succeed” and on and on. They notice where you’re messing up, point out what’s wrong with you, both physically and mentally, and basically scare you and make you anxious all day long.
That is, unless you become aware of them.
What to Do With Stressful Thoughts?
There are whole books written on this subject, but to sum it up, you need to become aware of your thoughts, then either change them in the moment, find a way to stop believing them, or observe them without attaching to them.
One other method that will help considerably, though, is getting into the flow and focusing on other, more pleasant things.
Enter art journaling!
What is Art Journaling?
Art journaling is simply creating art and words and textures and shapes and backgrounds in a contained space, like a notebook or sketchpad.
It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
It doesn’t have to be Instagram ready.
You can write in it and doodle.
You can paint landscapes in it with a few words scattered here and there.
It’s yours. It’s your space, it’s your place, and it’s a great way to reduce anxiety.
3 Ways Art Journaling Can Reduce Anxiety and Increase Peace
#1 When You’re Creating, You’re Not Thinking
Art journaling for anxiety is simple: Pick something to work on and work on it! When you’re distracted, when you’re creating, you’re not anxious!
Why? Because your thoughts have ceased, at least temporarily. (And if negative thoughts about your work pop up, you can simply say “I see you, but right now you’re not needed.”)
Not only do thoughts and worries tend to float away while you’re making something, but you’ll also notice your overall life is improving just a tad.
#2 Art Journaling Helps Get You In a Flow State
Creativity really gave me my life back, and part of the reason is that it felt SO GOOD to let beautiful things flow through me. It feels so good to take time for yourself, to give in to the yearning to be creative, and to learn and grow.
Plus, like I’ve mentioned a zillion times already, being in that creative flow can temporarily stop all those stress and anxiety causing thoughts.
#3 Art Journaling Helps You Get Your Worries Out
Let’s say thoughts do keep popping up as you’re creating. Write them down in your art journal!
If you’re writing them down, it means you’re aware of the thoughts, instead of letting them running around on auto-pilot in the background all day long.
Once you’re written them down, write down a thought that feels better, or write down the reasons the thought might not be true. Or, simply cross the phrase out and draw flowers or rainbows all around it. Whatever you choose, it’s all helpful.
So, you ready? If you want to jump into art journaling and creativity, take the free 14 day challenge!
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