How Crafts And Colouring Can Reduce Your Stress And Bring Out Your Creativity

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life - Pablo Picasso

Like Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the bestseller Eat, Pray and Love, many parents have discovered crafting and colouring as simple yet effective ways to shed stress and be in a happy state of mind during the pandemic.

If your stress level is going through the roof as you handle a demanding job, chores at home and childcare amidst pandemic anxieties, you should surely give crafting and colouring a chance to calm you down.

Always remember that you cannot take good care of your family if you are stressed out yourself. This will also affect the quality of your interactions with your children. No child likes to spend time with a parent who is on the edge most of the time. So, to tone down your stress levels, let's find a de-stress method that suits your lifestyle!

If you are not the yoga and meditation type, give crafting and colouring a try. It is said that a session of crafting or spending time colouring shapes and figures could deeply relax you as it takes your mind away from everyday tussles and makes you focus on the job at hand.

Recently, actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna shared her needlework with her fans. Many actors have turned to painting to enliven their moods. It's not just celebrities who are turning to creative pursuits to deal with lockdown blues. Many parents too have found solace in crafts and colouring and if you can do it along with your child, it's a win-win for both of you. Yes, you can share these tension-relieving practical methods with your kids too!

How crafting with my daughter helps me de-stress:

This is what Dr Meghna Singhal, clinical psychologist, psychotherapist has to say

"I regularly do craft activities with my 6-year old daughter, Misha. One day we take used-up toilet paper rolls and make fun animals, the other, we make salt and glue fireworks, and yet another, we simply stack up shoe boxes to build a house for her dolls. It gives me the chance to not just have fun with my child, but teach her science, math, and even social and emotional learning (SEL). But the biggest benefit for me is that it gives me a sense of well-being. Crafting makes me happy and I feel like a good mom! As I am away from my work during that period, I am fully engrossed in getting the craft right. After it is finished, the whole exercise relaxes me completely. Just 15 minutes of an activity (which I pre-plan and ensure we have the materials for) between my meetings makes me feel connected to her and helps me de-stress. I am able to return to my meetings rejuvenated! As a psychologist, I would definitely suggest parents to try crafting and colouring to relax and de-stress from all the pandemic-related anxieties. The best part is that this way you can spend productive time with your children too."

ParentCircle talked to Bangalore-based versatile artist, Shan Re who recently came up with an adult colouring book, Creative Meditation With Colours, which parents can use to relieve anxieties. During the pandemic, her online art therapy classes have been quite popular. We asked her how parents can put their minds at ease.

She elaborates, "I think it will take couple of years for us to get back to normal life. So, we have to find different ways to cope. I believe that art can help to safeguard our mental health. The show must go on irrespective of the situation. We have to accept the change in work and life without resistance and experience the flow of events. Identify your stress triggers, pause and feel each emotion, train your mind and connect with your inner wisdom. Find stillness every day. It helps to develop resilience. In this time of isolation, uncertainty and unpredictability, everyone is facing a lot of anxiety and fear. I am trying to spread positivity through my adult colouring book."

How crafting calms:

Crafts could be therapeutic for some people. Like someone who finds inner peace in yoga and meditation, there are some who find solace in knitting, crocheting or crafting. Give them activities of jewellery making, paper folding, and making crafts out of cardboard boxes and they can happily engage themselves for hours.

If you are a parent of a pre-schooler and looking to craft ideas you can do with your child, check out our Little Learners@Home programme. Apart from a range of age-appropriate learning tools, it has many crafts ideas (some of which you can even use during festivals for decorations) that you can do along with your child.

Here's the link for details: https://bit.ly/302vjQW

Importance of adult colouring books:

Colouring for adults is slightly different from the colouring your child does in her art books. Colouring for adults goes beyond being a fun activity. Just filling colours into complex shapes can help improve your focus and sleep. It is also said to control anxiety and even boost your immunity.

During the lockdown, many of us had to face boredom and lack of structure, which led to stress. Experts say that when you are engrossed in the complex patterns of the artwork, your brain tends to relax.

Shan Re explains, "As an art therapist I support and guide the process of both art making and self-discovery. Through the process of engaging with art materials, we give form to the thoughts, ideas, desires and needs of our subconscious being."

The best part is that you don't need to have an artistic bent of mind to pick up colouring, anyone can do it. And this is a hobby that you can carry wherever you go!

So, what's your secret mantra to relax and de-stress when you feel down in the dumps? Do share with us your experiences if you have tried crafting and colouring as stress relievers.