As an online business owner, you have more than enough on your plate. Having to create a website, providing goods and services, do your accounting, marketing, and more will elevate your stress levels. Stress can elevate your blood pressure, and that's not healthy for you.
High levels of stress are harmful to your emotional well-being and physical health. The simple reality is that online business owners are some of the most stressed people, and they need a way to relax.
One of the best ways online business owners can relax is through the power of art and art therapy. Art has been shown to provide therapeutic effects for people suffering from stress, anxiety, and other related conditions.
It has even been noted that art is such a powerful relaxation agent that it is akin to meditation in terms of benefits. We want to discuss is how can a business owner use art for relaxation. There's a lot to cover, so let's get to it.
Art as Therapy – The Benefits
Before we start talking about the best ways that business owners can use art as therapy, we want to talk about the different benefits art can bring to people who are stressed. Art therapy has many benefits, most of which people are unaware of.
It Helps You Explore Your Emotions
Art can be therapeutic because it can help you explore your emotions, which many of us have problems expressing. This is true whether we're trying to express our feelings to other people or even to ourselves. Inability to face emotions can be a problem when it comes to running a business.
Although running a business should be purely statistical and plan-based, emotions do get in the way. If your feelings are unexplored and you are suppressing them, they can create stress and get in the way of making the best decisions for your business. It has been shown that art is an excellent way for people to express their emotions.
If you look at art, you can see that most people put a whole lot of emotion into it. Whatever kind of art, it's a great way to get those emotions out of the way and relieve emotion-based stress, clearing your mind and allowing you to make rational decisions for your business.
It Allows You to Express and Develop Creativity – A Source of Inspiration
Many people need a creative outlet where they can express themselves. Being able to express yourself can help relieve stress and tension. People are creative in different ways, and for many, art is a great way to express this creativity.
Moreover, it is an excellent form of relaxation and a way to get your creative juices flowing. As a business owner, you will often encounter things that will leave you wondering what you should do. You might have a problem you currently don't know the solution to. An artwork session might just get your creative juices flowing enough to make an idea pop in your head.
Who knows, you might create some amazing art and then find a source of inspiration that relates to your business. Art can be relaxing because, in some cases, the creativity that it inspires might allow you to find ways to tackle issues that online businesses are faced with.
It is a Form of Self-Care – Some Time Off
Art acts as a form of relaxation because it is a form of self-care. Any online business owner is usually pressed for time. There never seem to be enough hours to get the work done, leading to stress. The reality is that people perform much better when they're relaxed and have the energy to tackle the job.
Suppose you spend 12 hours working without any breaks. In that case, you’re not going to be relaxed, and you're not going to have any energy, which will affect your emotional well-being, mental state, physical health, and ability to make the right decisions for your business. Simply put, you need some time off.
Everybody needs some time off. We’re not talking about taking a vacation, although that would be great; we're talking about taking a few minutes, maybe half an hour, for relaxing activities such as artwork.
If nothing else, doing art every day is an excellent way to get some time off. You can take a few minutes to decompress, express creativity, and relax. You need something that can take you away from your daily stress and provide an escape. Sometimes all we need is a bit of a distraction from the rigors of being business owners. A few minutes of distraction can recharge your batteries, both mentally and physically.
Inner Focus and Your State of Flow
One of the most significant benefits you can get from art is that it can help you achieve a so-called state of flow. Art as relaxation is similar to meditation because you become engrossed in what you are doing that you forget about everything else.
This is an excellent way to help you look inwards and to find harmony. This flow and concentration can help improve your happiness and mental health, lowering your stress levels.
Over time, doing art for relaxation can help improve your focus, which can also benefit your business. It's all about being able to concentrate and live in the moment. The benefits of meditation are genuine, and they are similar to the benefits of using art as relaxation.
Art Helps Build Confidence
When you do art and see the finished work, it makes you feel good about yourself. You are much less stressed, and your ability to make decisions with confidence increases. Feeling self-confident and knowing that you have self-worth is essential for realizing success in the grand scheme of things.
How to Use Art as Relaxation for Online Business Owners
Now that you know about the different benefits of art as relaxation, let's take a look at some of the different ways you, as a business owner, can use art for relaxation.
Listen to or Make Music
When we're talking about art, we aren't just talking about painting or drawing. Music is also a form of art. If you want to relax and get away from the world and drown out all of those emotions, listening to your favorite music is a great way to do it.
You can become engrossed in your music and tune out the rest of the world. Even better might be if you want to make music. If you are musically inclined, it's a great way to get that flow going, look inwards, and relieve stress by expressing your emotions and creativity.
Put Your Feelings into Abstract Art
Abstract art is the expression of feelings. Although it might not take the form of a portrait or landscape painting, it’s a form of emotional release.
When it comes to abstract art, you aren't limited by rules or artistic theory. With abstract art, you can do anything you want, which is why it is such a good stress reliever. Draw, paint, and sketch your feelings away.
Do Some Simple Coloring
Something as simple as coloring can increase your mental health and emotional well-being. Coloring has many of the same benefits as meditation because it requires a lot of focus.
It's all about finding that focus, that inner flow, and inner peace, so you can keep your mind on one task. This will distract you from the rest of the world, it will help you forget about your emotions, and it will also help you express some of your creativity at the same time.
This is why there are so many coloring books for adults. They include mandalas and other complex pictures that require a lot of attention to detail. In themselves, something like a mandala also has benefits for the human mind.
Make a Dream Journal
Making a dream journal can be a form of art, especially if you do some drawings and sketches in the journal. Dreams are often seen as a way for the subconscious mind to express itself. They can often manifest as problems or issues you might not be willing to face when you're awake.
Writing down and drawing what you dream could be a way to relax because it can provide you with an avenue to deal with those issues and emotions you're otherwise unwilling to deal with while you are awake and make you a much better online business owner.
Do Some Simple Sketching
Something simple as sketching for no reason can also go a long way in helping you relax. Your sketching is not limited by anything at all, so there are no rules to follow. It's all about you, your emotions, and what you want to draw, and that's great for distracting you from the rigors of your daily life.
Sculpt Away Those Emotions
Suppose you need an emotional release, but basic drawing or painting might not be enough. Many artists find that they get an emotional release from physical art, things like sculpting or metalworking.
Being able to squeeze, press, punch, and work with materials and really get your hands dirty is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. It's a great way to get your hands moving, your mind thinking, and help you achieve a state of flow.
FAQ
How Do Art and Painting Relieve Stress?
Art and related activities relieve stress by distracting you from your daily life, allowing you to express and process emotions, and by helping you achieve a state of flow and serenity. Winston Churchill was an accomplished painter, using watercolors and oil painting to relieve his stress as he led Britain through WWII.
Does Looking at Art Relieve Stress?
Yes, simply looking at art does help to relieve stress, although not as much as actually doing art.
How Does Art Therapy Affect the Brain?
One of the most significant ways art therapy affects the brain is by causing it to release feel-good chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin.
Recommendations
If you are looking for help with relaxation and art is not doing it for you, we recommend looking at meditation and relaxation applications. Some of the best meditation and self-care apps out there include Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer. We like all of these apps because they feature guided meditation.
Conclusion
Did you know that something as simple as looking at art is shown to have calming and relaxing effects on the human mind? Simply taking the time to view artwork can help decrease stress levels, and if you focus enough, it can even provide you with many of the same health benefits as meditation. Remember, it’s all about your emotional well-being.
