Today, college students are overwhelmed with tasks and responsibilities more than ever. Stressed and exhausted after working beyond their means, many drive themselves to academic burnout, a physical and mental condition resulting in frustration, social disconnection, and the inability to maintain the same performance.
Academic overload, fear of failure, and pressure to succeed are the most common reasons for anxiety and getting benefits of essay writing services. No wonder:
The constant feeling of exhaustion, no motivation to learn but the fear of failing the courses, and the inability to meet deadlines contribute to escalating anxiety into a chronic disorder.
Creative expression like therapeutic writing practices, freewriting, or art therapy may help manage it. In this article, you’ll learn how (and why) such exercises work and get a list of affordable art therapy exercises to practice at home, on campus, or anywhere you feel comfortable.
Anxiety and Its Symptoms
Anxiety is a person’s emotional, mental, and physical response in anticipation of a future concern. As the NIMH states, occasional anxiety is okay:
We all feel scared, worried, or uneasy sometimes. It’s our bodies’ typical response to stressful situations.
The problem appears when occasional anxiety becomes excessive and difficult to control. It turns into disorders and phobias: GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), panic, selective mutism, and social phobia, to name a few.
Symptoms of anxiety can vary, depending on a combination of factors like personality traits, brain chemistry, or specific life experiences like traumas and stresses. The common symptoms include:
- Constant fatigue
- Excessive worrying
- Irritability
- Increased agitation
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty in concentration
- Sleep disorders
- Unexplained pains (headache, stomachaches, muscle aches)
- Difficulty controlling feelings
For students who are often anxious during college life (tests, exams, tons of assignments, etc.), it’s critical to control this feeling and prevent it from becoming a chronic disorder. Art therapy is among the proven techniques to manage anxiety and stress, and it’s affordable for students on campus.
How Art Therapy Can Help
Art therapy is any use of creative expression for a therapeutic purpose, combining psychological therapy and art-making. Painting, sculpting, coloring, journaling, modeling—all these practices can be part of art therapy, helping people manage anxiety and stress without verbal communication.
How does art therapy work?
A short answer:
It makes our neurological system relax.
A longer answer:
It creates a mind-body connection via fine motor skills exercises, thus decreasing brain chemical levels and helping the nervous system calm down. Art therapy makes people feel more in control of their lives. It relieves anxiety and depression and assists in managing pain, moving mental focus away from the painful stimulus.
For those anxious, art therapy is a safe (non-verbal and, thus, non-judgemental) space. It enables us to learn how to control emotions and manage worry, fear, and stress symptoms.
The benefits of art therapy for helping students and others with anxiety are evident:
- It acts as a distraction from negative feelings like fear or worry
- It calms the nervous system
- It encourages a person to focus on one thing, thus reducing over-stimulation from external sources
- It releases stress via tactile stimulation
- It allows one to structure thoughts and manage emotions when verbal expression doesn’t help (or isn’t possible)
- It increases self-esteem (“Hey, look! I’m a creator!”)
- It’s easy to practice outside of therapists’ offices: at home, on campus, in parks with friends, you name it
Art Therapy Exercises Students Can Try on Campus
1. Coloring books:
There are many adult coloring books with pre-printed designs at stores and online. They promote anxiety release by setting the expectations of what to color:
- You have an outline.
- You can control it.
- You don’t feel anxious about not knowing what to do.
2. Doodling (pattern making):
This art therapy exercise reduces anxiety by self-directed and controlled drawing that doesn’t have to be “perfect.” It fosters self-expression and gives a sense of safety.
3. Gratitude journaling:
The habit of daily writing (by hand!) about things or people a person is thankful for releases the tension of waiting for something terrible to happen. A gratitude journal makes us focus on the positive aspects of our lives, staying calm throughout the day.
4. Mandala art:
It refers to coloring complex geometric patterns that induce a meditative state due to repetitive and rhythmic movements. Circular objects and graphic boundaries give a sense of control, thus reducing heightened emotions.
5. Scribbling on paper:
The freedom of scribbling allows us to relax (since there’s no expectation of drawing something well) and resemble our emotions. Tangled lines could show the nervous energy getting out, and pressing a pencil down hard signals the release of tension.
6. Collages (visual journaling):
This self-directed activity combines words and images, allowing a person to explore themselves and create a place that makes them feel at ease. Bringing themselves to that happy place helps distract them from anxious thoughts.
7. Affirmation cards:
Also known as tokens of self-love, they work to build self-esteem and calm down negative thoughts. Students can draw several cards, write positive phrases like “Breathe calmly,” “I’m free,” “This too shall pass,” or others, and put them in different places throughout their room or apartment. Reflecting on the affirmation will help them deal with anxious feelings.
Takeaways
Art therapy is a proven instrument to deal with the stress and anxiety most of us experience from time to time. Using creative expression for a therapeutic purpose helps manage anxiety symptoms and prevent them from turning into chronic disorders.
College students can practice art therapy exercises on campus. Artmaking alone or with roommates offers many benefits:
It promotes relaxation and mindfulness, provides a sense of control, and boosts self-awareness. By understanding their thoughts and feelings, students will know how to manage emotions for better mental health.
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