An ally has been found in art to improve mental health. We refer to creative expressive therapies that allow the person to discharge their emotional discomfort and enhance other aspects of their life. We tell you what it is about.
On a daily basis you can experience multiple pleasant or unpleasant emotions and sensations that influence the mind, body and spirit.
Particularly, these feelings are heightened during these New Year’s Eve and Christmas seasons. For many, emotions intensify positively or negatively according to the balance of the year, fulfillment or not of goals, dreams or commitments., but; also, due to present feelings such as nostalgia or anxiety.
“Such emotional states can be temporary and not very motivating or, on the contrary, they can become permanent guests that make our life experience more complex, increase emotional stress and can trigger multiple problems,” explains Santiago Arjona Pachón, master in clinical psychology and specialist. in mindfulness.
Thus, Learning to relate appropriately with the emotional sphere becomes one of the most important capacities to develop in the human being.to increase levels of well-being, strengthen resilience and better manage relationships, advancing in the assertive response to the situations faced daily.
How does art allow us to work with our emotions?
Within the range of possibilities that psychologists and therapists recommend “for manage the emotional world are the artistic tools that become an ally that favors the expression and awareness of what is still at an unconscious level and that may be hurting us internally; They open the way for us to promote communication channels that allow the release of situations that we have not been able to elaborate by other means.“says Santiago Arjona Pachón, scientific director of Trinidad, a psychology center with an emphasis on expressive and creative therapies.
Creative expression awakens the right cerebral hemisphere, responsible for processes associated with imagination, intuition, contact, emotional management, artistic and musical sense, holistic thinking and sensoriality, among others, which “provides the possibility to see the world in different nuances, flavors, smells, colors and textures,” complements Arjona Pachón.
Likewise, the American Art Therapy Association points out that this type of therapies They use the creative process of art to improve the physical, mental and emotional well-being of people of all ages and conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that “Artistic activities from dancing to singing and reading to theater benefit health and can help treat complicated problems such as diabetes, obesity, Parkinson’s or mental illnesses”.
“Creative expression is a resource available to anyone. The being lives in continuous expression, so whether we are professionals or not in some type of art, we can always take a piece of paper, a pencil and draw something, even setting an intention when doing so,” says Luz Adriana Echeverri, teacher in plastic arts and Trinidadian advisor.
This Christmas season, where reflection and gratitude are more present, is an excellent opportunity to make use of any form of artistic expression, and through it, become more aware of our actions, enhancing everything that allows us to move forward in 2023. , reconciled and committed to life.
Benefits of art as therapy:
- Improves emotion management.
- Allows greater development of emotional intelligence.
- Expand imagination and creativity.
- Improves physical and motor skills.
- Improves concentration, attention and memory.
- Connects with joy and expressiveness.
- Allows greater self-knowledge.
Practical art recommendations:
- Draw, paint or doodle It favors emotional relaxation and the externalization of sensations that often cannot be understood.
- Color It allows you to explore creativity, enjoy contact with the senses, which facilitates the discharge of overwhelming thoughts.
- Dancing, playing sports, exercising, singing, acting Or simply walk They are also therapeutic activities to better process emotions.
- We are creative at cooking, dancing, writing, drawing or painting, even thinking.