Art can be an exciting tool to tackle down stress.
So, first of all, I feel the need to clarify what is stress. Nowadays, it is a popular word that you may hear here and there. But, still, it’s commonly mistaken with the concept of anxiety and even wrongly used.
So what is stress?
Stress is different from anxiety. Even though both are emotional responses, stress commonly results from an external cause. It can be something like a discussion with your partner, a deadline, inability to work due to a broken leg, being stuck in traffic, etc. The stress symptoms, physical and mental, are headaches, aches, pains and muscle tension, sleeping difficulties, digestive problems (e.g., diarrhoea, constipation, etc.), fatigue, irritability, anger, difficulty relaxing or quieting the mind, etc. Note that repeated exposure to stress-inducing situations can affect your mental and physical health.
Anxiety is a recurrent and excessive worry that will not leave even if the stressor is no longer there. The symptoms are very similar to those caused by stress (i.e., pain or muscle tension; sleeping difficulties; struggle to concentrate; fatigue; irritability; etc.).
Specific coping mechanisms are handy to help you manage moderate anxiety or stress: maintaining good sleep hygiene, practising regular physical exercise, keeping a…
