It’s the end of the day. You are tired. You feel flat and grab that well-deserved glass of wine, flip on the TV or pick up your phone to start scrolling through your favourite social media. Does this sound like your go-to more often than not?
It certainly feels good in the moment, especially because our busy minds want to be distracted with a brainless activity. But this go-to activity can leave us feeling more empty, stressed and flatter than before you started! TV is not as much of a relaxation tool as we think. According to Very Well Mind, “your mind is still receiving stimuli from the TV, you are processing information and reacting emotionally. Do you ever dream about TV shows? These are signs that the brain is working hard to process all the TV you have been watching.” Does not sound very relaxing!
This is why creative wellness is so important!
Why creativity?
Relaxing through creativity has so many benefits!
Being able to slow down and keep those anxious thoughts at bay or just to relax and unwind.
There are all kinds of things you can do to relax and enjoy a rich experience, bringing you more calm, creativity and confidence, all the while having fun!
The great news is, you do not have to be the next Picasso to benefit from being creative. Studies that examine the effects on creativity and mood, is not based on the quality, rather on how you feel afterward. THESE are all positive!!
Repetitive lines is how I have learned to give my mind a break and to be in the moment. Once I finish with my doodling, I always feel calmness.
Why doodling is awesome?
Because this is EASY! Who needs more things to think about? Doodling does not put any pressure on you to be perfect. You can just enjoy all the benefits of going back to paper and yet it is totally mindless and fun!
So, let’s get started!
The first thing that is so important when going into any activity, is giving yourself permission to have even 5 minutes with no distraction. This all about the process and the benefits you will feel.
Start by putting on calming music that you enjoy! Pick up some paper or a journal, pens, pencils, markers or your favourite mark making tool.
In the middle of your page pick a shape or start doodling lines. Continue to repeat this without thinking, but just allowing you to go with the flow. This process is not meant to be perfect. Doodling things that have different sizes will bringing more character to your page. What I am trying to say is, do not get hung up on thinking these need to be perfect!
To give you more ideas about shapes you can start doodling …
- Triangles
- Squares
- Circles
- Waves
- Dots
- Lines (try horizontal with overlapping vertical lines
- Leaf shapes
- Simple flowers with 3 – 5 petals (odd numbers always work out better)
- Lines (try vertical lines with overlapping horizontal lines)
- Spirals
- Curvy lines, wavy lines, short lines, long lines
- Dots – FILL with lots of them!
- Checkerboard pattern – Start by making a make a grid and color in every other square
So before reaching for that TV remote or your phone, get a piece of paper and doodle your stress away.
Do you have any questions? I would love to hear from you, please email me on: hello@doodlelovely.com
By the way, if you are looking for guided doodling activities, check out the Creative Mind. Happy Soul Journal HERE