Here’s How Creative Arts Can Diminish Stress

Article via Psychology Today

Everyone gets stressed sometimes. Dealing with disappointments or unforeseen difficulties is a natural part of life that we handle by developing coping mechanisms, like calling a friend after a bad day at work or journaling to consolidate and review a hectic week. But too much stress without adequate coping skills can negatively affect your health and prevent you from living a fulfilling daily life. How can you handle stress? Science suggests that art might be one way to kick stress to the curb.

First, it’s important to understand that not all stress is bad. Certain levels of the biological stress marker cortisol are healthy and can help play a part in regulating your internal body clock. In the morning, for example, levels of cortisol are typically higher than they are at midday or in the evening. Scientists think this rise in cortisol is actually a positive stressor that urges you to get up in the morning instead of sleeping away the day. But what happens when your stress rises beyond healthy levels? What can you do to diminish excess stress in your day?

This is where the arts come in. Researchers at Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions hypothesized that…CLICK HERE to Read the full article on PsychologyToday.com