Coping Skills: Expressive
This blog is number 2 of 4 in a series about types of coping skills. Artistic expression is a wonderful way to process and cope with difficult emotions. As children, it is common for others to engage us in creative activities and to look for meaning beneath. However, as we get older, we become critical of our work and often stray from those skills. Creative outlets are a powerful coping skill because they engage multiple senses simultaneously. Engaging the right hemisphere of your brain allows you to access feelings that may have been buried before.
Sometimes counselors utilize art therapy (drawing, coloring, molding clay, etc.) in session when a client is stuck or is unable to verbally express what they are experiencing. Our brain unconsciously blocks our painful, emotional experiences as a defense mechanism; as a result, talk therapy alone is sometimes unable to access those deeper roots. I have learned more by processing a client’s poem, song, or drawing with them than I have in 2-3 months of weekly talk therapy. Art allows you to project your emotions and experiences into something entirely separate, making it easier to process than if you were describing it in first person.
Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected and expressing them in a healthy way can help you learn about your patterns. I often assign journaling as “homework” because it yields significant data. Sometimes, words alone cannot express the depth and complexity of what we are experiencing. Dancing allows me to expel the energy that is coursing through my body, which could otherwise manifest as anxiety. Yoga and creating or building something with your hands can have the same releasing effect. You do not have to strive for perfection or even tell or show anyone else for this to be effective; the goal is to utilize your creative energy to alleviate your symptoms.
Writing (Stories, Poetry, Songs, etc.)
Drawing
Coloring
Creating Music
Singing
Dancing
Talking to Friend
Sculpting
Photography
Building Something
Baking
Creating Something New
