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ART & WELLNESS

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Visual art aids in wellbeing ….and so I say 😊

My love for colours and tryst with art started right from my pre-school days. In my early days I recall vividly that I would just amuse myself working on walls of colours– first a blue , then a green , then a yellow and so on….. Am not sure at what point I delved into simple forms of art – a house with a red roof, a tree and then more….

This is how art evolved for me….The intention of today`s writing is to affirm all of the positives that come from taking up art …..

Here`s to what does for wellbeing…..

The act of drawing or sketching or painting is done mindfully and with care. Art helps one to stay connected with the present

The repetitive nature of tracing on a line is peaceful  or

Painting – working on strokes until you get the colour and effects right – is one of the best forms of therapy.

Art is about being in the present moment

Art is therefore very calming and promotes wellness

Art and the brain

Fact

Working on act that is calming , quiet and peaceful – is very good for the brain.

How this works…..

Remember we think of the brain as a four layered box – starting from the

# 4 bottom most layer the stem that looks after the fright or flight response

# 3 movement- the layer in charge of movement

#2 the feelings- the layer that takes care of our feelings and

# 1 the learning or the thinking part of the brain

So when we work on art, the stem of the brain is relaxed.

When the stem of the brain is relaxed we feel peaceful.

When we feel peaceful we are able to focus better on our day to day lives

Studies in brain science indicates that feeling peaceful allows for new braincells to be formed.

This allows us to feel strong and well and resilient.  

A bit about Endorphins :

Studies also show that when you enjoy an activity such as art – the brain releases a happy hormone called endorphins.

Endorphins help in having a happy healthy brain.

So let`s Reach4Art – one moment in time ….

Brain and wellness

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In this post, I am writing some simple truths on how our brain works …. This is based on the books I have read and the knowledge I have gained in my study and work around learning, wellness and behaviour

Knowing how the brain works – has helped me immensely in my own wellness .

The brain is a powerful organ in our body; It is connected to our head -and so looks after -how we think and how we feel and then how we act

The Brain as a four layered box

Think of the brain as a four layered box- Each layer of the brain has a function and a role to play

The Stem of the brain The bottom most part of the brain is called the stem of the brain -the stem is very sensitive and it picks up any threats or insecurities that we feel-

Movement The thirdlayer – just on top of the stem looks after our movement .

Feelings : The second layer of the brain looks after our feelings. This part of the brain is also called the limbic region. Feelings of sadness, fear ( being scared) ,anger and happiness happen in this region of the brain

Learning The top most layer of the brain looks after how we think and how we learn.This part of the brain is also called the cortical region or the prefrontal cortex . Scientists say that this part of the brain can change and become stronger when we learn or when we enjoy new experiences.

Basic Facts

Sadness, fear ( being afraid) and anger are feelings that impact on your wellness. This means these feelings increase your stress levels and therefore not good for your health and well being.

When there is an increase in stress levels , we tend to become unwell

The three feelings that are not good for your wellness are also not good for your brain . This means when you feel sad or angry or scared , your brain is not going to be working at it`s best.

What happens to our brain when we feel sadness, anger or fear ( being scared ) ??

The brain is powerful organ of our body

The lowest part of the brain is the stem of the brain. The stem of the brain is highly sensitive ,It acts like a siren whenever we feel uncomfortable or not ok

So when we feel sad or angry or scared , the stem of the brain picks up the signals.

The stem then releases chemicals that travel up to our thinking part of the brain.

Just to make it easy lets call the chemicals as” clouds”.

ANGER

So when we feel angry – angry clouds are released into the brain that travels up to the thinking spot.It sits on the thinking spot and prevents us from learning and thinking clearly .

SADNESS

When we feel sad- sad clouds are released into the brain and it hits the thinking spot and prevents us from learning and thinking.

FEAR OR BEING SCARED

Similarly when we feel afraid or scared or in fear – we have these worried clouds that hit the thinking sport and stops us from learning and thinking clearly

It is okay to feel angry or sad or scared – these are emotions that we are always going to feel at different times in our lives .

CHECK IN AND BE MINDFUL

What we need to be mindful is – we need to keep these 3 clouds or feelings ( anger, scared ( fear) and sadness in check.

How do we keep them in check .- because for some of us – we have these feelings visit us almost everyday??

STEPS TO KEEP THE 3 CLOUDS AWAY

Make a plan

Follow simple excercises that allows us to feel stronger each day

Talk to a person that we trust

Think of or imagine a happy picture

Draw

Find a safe and quiet place

Focus on breathing

Listen to music

Choose to be kind