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Mandala Colouring To Ward Off Stress And Anxiety
In times like these when the whole world reels with the ferocious second wave of Covid-19, it is essential to get a hold of stress and calm yourself. Mental health problems like stress and anxiety can aggravate if you don't handle stress well, so having some strategies in the back of your mind can help you when things get rough. Stress and anxiety can be overwhelming to handle, but it's important to figure out ways to manage your mental state to prevent anything from spiralling out of control. Not only does stress and anxiety make it difficult for people to do day to day activities, but it can take a toll on your health as well.
While almost everyone experiences stress, not everyone suffers from an anxiety condition though the two can be easily confused. While both are emotional responses, but stress is usually the result of an external stimulus. The trigger can be either short-term, such as a job deadline or a disagreement with a loved one, or long-term, such as being unable to work, discrimination, or chronic sickness. Stress causes both mental and physical symptoms, including irritation, rage, exhaustion, muscular pain, digestive problems, and difficulties sleeping.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is characterised by persistent, excessive anxieties that remain even in the absence of a stressor. Anxiety causes symptoms that are remarkably comparable to stress: sleeplessness, trouble focusing, exhaustion, muscular tightness, and irritability. However, whether you are stressed or feeling anxious, this meditation technique might help ease the symptoms and help you overcome the problem.
Did you know mandalas can be used as a healing strategy for meditation that can help ward off problems like stress and anxiety? Meditation itself is touted as an effective way to relieve stress, combat depression, alleviate pain and reduce blood pressure. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Psychological Oncology states mandala colouring is one of the effective art therapies to help people with mental health problems.
In another study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, colouring mandalas showed a positive effect in people with anxiety. For the study, participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups and instructed to colour on either a mandala, a plaid, or a blank piece of paper. The team used State Anxiety Inventory at baseline to check anxiety levels after the writing exercise and after colouring. The findings showed colouring a mandala decreases anxiety substantially more than colouring a plaid design or colouring on blank paper.
Mandala colouring is a simple tool that doesn't require any special skills, yet it can be relaxing and nutritious. Mandalas not only help you concentrate your attention, but they also allow you to express your creative side, which many of us overlook in our regular lives. Studies have shown that colouring mandalas can help children deal with emotions and cope with illness. It has also been proved beneficial for people who have a terminal illness. Just like knitting helps smokers who quit, colouring mandalas can keep your hands busy and help relieve stress.