Painting. Dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression.

Painting, I believe, can have a positive impact on our mental health. I know there are days where I'm feeling stressed, anxiety, and depression and I just need a quiet moment to settle down, grab a snack and a cup of tea, and just get to painting. I find painting to be very relaxing and a way to escape from the stresses of our everyday life. I know when I'm feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed I find certain colors, styles and decorations of paintings can really make a positive impact and make you feel much more calm and relaxed. So in this entry I'm going to discuss four ways painting can make a positive impact on you.

The first is time. Painting can be time consuming. This is a good thing because having more time can take your mind off of the stresses of the day and really put you at a state where you're more concentrated on making the art piece and allowing your mind to drift to another place where you can be at peace. With painting being time consuming it can allow your mind to become in a state where you are just focusing on the artwork. Working longer and less faster will help you take your mind off of everything else that is making you stressed.

Time is also good because you can also take the time to paint out what you are feeling. You can sit and express what you feel by using shapes, colors or even words to describe how you are feeling and what you are thinking. I know when I'm depressed art is a good way to express emotions because it is physically painted onto something to reflect back on rather than just meditating or talking.

Second is colors. The colors that you make on your painting can also reflect the way that you feel. Blue can be a feeling of sadness. But some people like blue because it gives the feeling of relaxation. So they will use blue colors to create a more relaxing scenery. Red represents anger. But some people like red because it makes them more sensual. So some people will use red to help them with feelings about relationships and romance. Yellow is another color that some people use in their paintings to express happiness and joy.

Some people just like to use black and white. They will paint letters or stick figures to express how they feel. There are many colors people will use for different expressions. Some use purple and rose for relaxation. Some use brown and green for expressions of stressful situations. So color is a good tool to use when painting to release stress, anger, and anxiety.

Styles of paintings is a third topic on the subject I want to discuss. A lot of people like abstract art so they will make an abstract art piece to express their anger. Some people don't like abstract but will paint something funny to make them laugh about a situation and turn it into something funny or to make it seem like it came out differently than the real outcome to express feeling. Some people like still life art work. So they will paint still life to represent someone or something that makes the happy. Some like landscapes. So they will paint a landscape using bright colors to make a piece that expresses feeling as well as their imagination.

Also people will decorate their homes with the art work they have made. Putting up beautiful pieces in the home or work office helps to keep you calm and relaxed. Looking at bright paintings with flowers, landscapes, and portraits create a well balanced environment. It creates a peaceful and beautiful scenery and helps with stress. That's why I chose painting as an helpful toll for releasing stress.