Stress is not necessarily a bad thing. Studies have shown that a healthy amount of manageable stress, can lead to improved brain functioning, a boosted immune system, improved focus, alertness and productivity. However, chronic stress when not managed properly, can lead to serious health issues- physical, mental and behavioural. Stress management is thus, one of the most important aspects of self-care. To be honest, there are more than 5 ways that activities linked to stationery can help in managing stress. In this blog post, we will focus on the 5 most common and easy ways where stationery can help in managing/reducing stress:
1. Colouring: In the recent years, markets have been flooded with adult colouring books. Colouring is found to be a meditative activity that calms the brain and also promotes creativity. Research suggests that colouring relaxes the fear centre of the brain and helps manage overthinking by making us more mindful and quiet. It is also been observed that colouring promotes sleep and improves attention spans. So grab some colour pencils/pens and a colouring book and beat that stress!
2. Origami: Origami is an art of paper folding from Japan. Origami is said to promote a form of meditation called focussed attention meditation or concentrative meditation, which trains the mind to focus on an object. The activity engages both mind and body and helps in disengaging the brain from problems, while providing it with a creative outlet and satisfaction- all you need is paper. While newspapers should be good enough to start off, there are specific origami paper available as well, which are thicker and provides more control with the folding.
3. Journalling: Journalling helps in organising our thoughts and provides a channel to release our negative thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, we cannot verbalise/ express or share our anger, frustrations and fears due to various reasons, which can build up and make us feel like our minds would explode. Journalling can provide us with an outlet to express these emotions in a non-judgemental manner and provides us with an escape or release. It can sometimes help us work our way through solutions to problems, which otherwise may seem impossible to solve. It is said consistently writing down one positive thought or gratitude can put people in a good mental space. All you need is a pen and paper or a digital journal and you are good to go. There are more than one types of journalling but there are no rules, this activity is all yours and feel free to express in your own way.
4. Handmade Cards: While greeting cards may seem outdated to many, sending a positive note of appreciation and gratitude will never be obsolete. Creating something for a loved one or someone we would love to show our appreciation for can bring immense amount of joy and happiness to both the creator and the recipient. Studies have shown that creating art reduces the level of cortisol, the "stress hormone". Besides, showing gratitude and appreciation have been known to put people in a positive frame of mind and reduce stress and overall make them more happy.
5. Writing Letters: The benefits of writing physical letters in managing/reducing stress are similar to those of journalling. Writing physical letters to close friends and family, or a pen pal, who may not be geographically close, is said to provide an unfiltered look at one's life in a way that is not portrayed on social media platforms. Sharing experiences and learning from each other can not only help in resolution of problems but give a sense of realisation that we are not alone and that everybody goes through some crisis at some time. In addition, there is some amount of excitement one feels when a letter is posted and even more excitement when a response to a physical letter is received. A pen, paper, envelope and stamps is what we need.
If you find this useful and end up using stationery to manage your stress, please do let me know.
コメント