I’m not really one for convincing others to pick up a certain activity just because they don’t have anything better to do with their time.
Truthfully, I don’t think anyone should pick up a hobby just because someone else enjoys it.
However, I do believe that if someone gives you a solid reason to at least TRY an activity because it has mental health benefits, then why not? If something has certain health benefits and you have some extra time after a long day, then do it!
Don’t just throw on some Netflix and watch it mindlessly as you surf through your social media feed. There are so many more ways to relax after a long day that can be both stimulating and healthy for your mind.
One hobby that most people don’t know can actually benefit their health significantly is painting. That’s right. Canvas, brushes, oil paints, acrylic paints…you name it!
When you put it all together, along with an hour or two every now and then, your life can change for the better. Here’s how.
1. Helps you relax
Being able to sit down, collect yourself and do something really simple and mindless is the perfect way to unwind after a long day.
Since painting is so easy and there’s not much concentration involved, there’s really no reason to be stressed about it.
In fact, it’s been proven that painting can relax you even more than watching your favorite movie. Since you don’t have to pay attention to a storyline and the stress of the characters isn’t present in your paintings, you can truly relax.
2. Allows you to be creative
How often do you have the opportunity to really be creative in your life? Most people aren’t fortunate enough to have a job that allows free-flowing creativity.
If you’re stuck punching numbers all day or interacting with other people on an intellectual level, you never get to be creative.
Painting lets you get in touch with that side of yourself. Creativity is a very important aspect of a truly happy and healthy mind.
Not only can painting benefit your creativity outside of work, but it can even improve your work performance by opening up your mind to more creativity and finding alternative ways to do things.
3. Silences your overthinking
This has to be the best thing about painting. Since I am someone who overthinks everything, painting is my way of shutting it all off.
For some reason, the second I pick up a brush, soak it in paint and touch it to a canvas, anything that my thoughts were consumed by disappears.
There aren’t many things you can do, aside from meditation maybe, that can truly silence your mind like painting can.
Whether it’s because you have to focus on not getting paint on yourself or you’re focused on creating an amazing piece of art, all that chatter that seems to fill your mind all day suddenly ceases.
4. Heightens your self-esteem
Maybe this is just me, but painting has this effect on me. Painting gives me a high self-confidence. I’m not sure if it’s because I now have a skill to paint beautiful pieces (not because I’m talented in the least), or because I have a unique hobby.
No matter what the reason, you will find that you feel much better about yourself when painting on a regular basis.
5. Balances brain activity
A healthy mind means that both sides of your brain are engaged. When you have one side of your brain working more often than the other, you run into a few problems with your happiness.
You need both your creative side and analytical side working in equal proportions.
Painting has the ability to not only get the right, creative side of your brain working more, but also the ability to keep your left side working at the same time.
You may not realize the effects of this specific benefit right away, but trust me: it really changes your regular thought process.
6. Puts you in touch with your emotional side
Painting is an emotional hobby. When you paint, you are divulging your current emotional state even if you don’t mean to. The colors you choose, the patterns and even what you specifically paint can show you a lot about how you feel.
It’s an emotional outlet that allows you to get everything down without really thinking about it, talking to anyone else or having to relive any stressful and emotional issues you’re currently dealing with.
7. It’s fun
Grab a glass of wine, some friends, awesome music, and have a good time! Painting is not only really beneficial to relax and quiet your mind, it’s also just really fun.
You don’t have to be good at painting, in fact, being bad at it is all that much more fun!
Bonus tips for making the most of painting
Light some relaxing candles
If you want to take relaxation a step further, light some incredible smelling candles that have relaxing properties. Anything with chamomile, peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender will do the trick.
Do it even when you’re in a bad mood
A lot of people get in a sour mood and decide to skip out on their hobbies. This is fine if your hobby involves a positive mindset and a lot of energy, but, with painting, you SHOULD do this when you’re unhappy. It’ll elevate your mood and make your painting better.
Painting is beneficial for more than just adding some homemade decorations to your home. It is a must-have hobby if you truly want to be happy and have a healthy mind!
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