Nine easy creative activities to relieve the stress in your life

Exercising your creative mind is one of the best ways to relieve stress and cope with difficult situations. Even if you don’t think you’re a creative person, the act of stimulating your mind and approaching a problem in a creative way can help you approach your own life in a new light.

Feeling stressed? Here are several ideas for creative activities you can do to relax:

Colouring books

Studies have shown that colouring images can reduce anxiety and combat negative thoughts. Thanks to the recent adult colouring book frenzy, there are lots of cool colouring books on the market for all interests – whether you like sports, ancient history, pirates, mandalas, or popular TV shows.

Take a class

Many schools or community groups offer evening classes in a huge variety of subjects. Learn a new skill and try your hand at woodworking, glass blowing, crochet, or Indian cooking. If you like learning in a structured environment and getting help from an instructor, you’ll enjoy this approach.

Google it

The internet is filled with instruction guides and craft videos for every conceivable hobby under the sun. A little looking around should find you detailed instructions for a project you’d like to try.

Create a vision board

Vision boards are an exercise in thinking good thoughts and visualising a positive future. Cut out pictures from magazines, use photographs of your happiest memories, and choose quotes or words to fill in the gaps. Use this board for inspiration when you’re feeling down.

See some vision board inspiration here.

Write a story or poem

Writing is a great way to be creative while also working through negative thoughts. Take inspiration from your favourite books, films, or TV shows and create a setting and characters that inspire and challenge you. You could even publish your work online in a blog, or read out your poem at an open-mic night.
For tips on how to write a story, look here. You can also check out WORD - The Front Line on Facebook for poetry and open mic events around the country.

Build or refurbish furniture

Creating something practical or making a beautiful object out of something that’s old and broken are great ways to get your creativity flowing. What’s even better is at the end you have a cool piece of furniture you can use in your room.

Become a reenactor

If you’re into swords, cannons, or other historical stuff, you could join a local re-enactment group and learn about crafts, martial arts, and other pursuits from history.

Bake something delicious

Baking appeals to many people because the recipe gives you a guide, but you can add your own flair. Plus you get to eat something yum at the end. Invite your friends over to enjoy your creations.

Photography

There’s so much you can do with a camera or even a phone these days. Learn some simple techniques and take your camera out and about to see what you can capture. You can use social media sites like Instagram to share your photos with your friends.