How the arts can be a break for the mind – 05/30/2023 – Equilibrium

When Frank Clark was in medical school, studying to be a psychiatrist, he decided to write his first poem.

“All that chatter that’s been in my head, everything that I’ve been feeling, I can now put it on paper. The pen will speak for me”, he said, remembering what went through his head at the time.

Clark was suffering from depression at the time and resorted to many things to combat it, including running, therapy, medication and his religious faith.

“I needed to find something else to fill the void,” he says. He eventually discovered that poetry was the missing piece of his “wellness puzzle”.

“I noticed an improvement in my mood,” says Clark, who now sees patients himself in Greer, South Carolina. “Poetry opened up another way for me to vent what I felt.”

The idea that art can benefit mental well-being is something that many people instinctively understand but can forget about, especially if they find themselves drifting away from things they loved to do as a child, like dancing, creative writing, drawing, and singing.

But according to Jill Sonke, director of research at the Center for the Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, there is a robust body of evidence indicating that creating art can benefit people’s mental health, as can activities like attending a concert or visiting a museum. museum.

Check out some simple ways to lift your spirits with the arts.

Try the three drawing technique

Psychiatrist James S. Gordon, founder of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, is the pioneer of the so-called “three drawings technique”, described in the book “Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us”. of art: how the arts transform us, in Portuguese).

He writes, “In my experience, art goes beyond words to help us understand what is happening to us and what we should make of it.”

You don’t need to know how to draw well. Roughly drawn figures are enough.

Start by drawing yourself quickly. Don’t stop to think or try to refine your drawing. The second drawing should show you with your biggest problem. The third party must imagine what it would be like after their problem has been resolved.

This exercise aims to encourage self-discovery and empower people to process their own healing. You may or may not have your therapist involved, says Susan Magsamen, a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-author of the book.

Paint something full of details

If you’re one of the many people who enjoy coloring books for adults, it won’t be surprising to learn that studies suggest this activity can help alleviate anxiety.

Coloring within the lines – of a detailed drawing, for example – seems to be especially effective. One study of college students and one of older adults found that 20 minutes spent coloring a mandala (a complex geometric design) did more to reduce anxiety than spending the same amount of time coloring freely.

Susan Albers, clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic and author of “50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food” (50 ways to soothe yourself without food, in Portuguese), characterizes the act of coloring as “taking a mini mental vacation”. According to her, when we focus on the texture of the paper and choose the colors we like, it is easier to remove distractions and focus on the moment.

“It’s a great form of meditation for people who don’t like to meditate,” she said.

listen more music

Listening to music, playing an instrument or singing can be beneficial, research shows.

A 2022 study, for example, surveyed more than 650 people from six age groups and asked them to rate the artistic activities that helped them feel better during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. 18 to 24 years, ranked musical activities as the most effective. Singing was considered one of the best activities by all age groups.

Other studies have found that singing reduces levels of cortisol, a hormone released when we are stressed. An example of this is the fact that mothers who have recently given birth and sing frequently to their babies have less anxiety.

Magsamen notes that music can be good for reducing stress because things like rhythm, chords and repetitive lyrics mobilize multiple regions of the brain.

“I sing in the shower,” says Magsamen. “I sing very loudly along with songs on the radio.”

write a poem

Frank Clark has continued to write poetry since graduating from medical school. He gave some tips to anyone interested in giving it a try.

First, ignore any thoughts that you’re not creative enough. “I often think that we ourselves are our most implacable critics,” she says. “I think anyone can write a poem.”

He suggests starting with a simple haiku. Haiku are made up of just three lines. The first and last have five syllables, the middle seven.

Think about getting your friends involved too. That’s a suggestion from a 2020 article published in the Journal of Medical Humanities that addressed the healing power of poetry.

The authors wrote, “Reading a poem once a week, sharing a poem with a friend, or taking a few minutes to freely write about a favorite memory, current idea, worry, or hope can all be helpful first steps toward feel the benefits of poetry in your own skin.”

Translated by Clara Allain