When the days get short, and the grey skies linger a little too long, the winter blues—or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—can make you feel heavy, tired, and uninspired. One of the best ways to combat the monochrome grayness of winter is to create something colorful and bright. Art journaling provides a safe space for those […]
Stop Overthinking Before Sleep With a 3-Step Pre-Sleep Brain Dump
Do you ever lie in bed, tired and ready to sleep, only to have your brain suddenly decide it’s the perfect time to replay a conversation from three years ago, or to remember you forgot to buy eggs for breakfast? This phenomenon is often called tired but wired. This mental rollercoaster is a leading cause […]
Cultivate Self-Kindness With Daily Journaling Practice
Most of us have a criticism log running in our heads 24/7. It’s that voice that tracks every time you make a mistake in a meeting, forget an appointment, or feel awkward at a party. You don’t have to try to keep that log; it’s basically a bad habit your brain does. To counteract the […]
10 Hypnotic Art Therapy Activities For Deep Relaxation
10 Hypnotic Art Therapy Activities For Deep Relaxation Can’t sit still to meditate? Try these 10 hypnotic art activities to lower cortisol, stop ruminating thoughts, and achieve deep relaxation. No talent required—just rhythmic motions to quiet your mind and reduce stress. Hypnotic art therapy is an emerging approach to anxiety relief that uses repetitive, meditative […]
Quick Therapeutic Art Activities: 5-Minute Vignettes for When You Have No Time
You don’t need a studio, you don’t need talent, and you certainly don’t need an hour of uninterrupted time to benefit from therapeutic art activities. Enter the art vignette—a micro-burst of creativity that acts like a psychological reset button, a 5-minute rescue mission for your nervous system. Whether you are hiding in a parked car, […]
Art Journaling Activities for Restful Sleep: Prompts to Do Before Bed
The goal of art journaling activities before bed is to help you down-regulate your nervous system. When we can’t sleep, it’s often because our minds are either stuck in the past (replaying the day) or anxious about the future (worrying about tomorrow). Art journaling anchors us in the present moment. Here you’ll find low-pressure art […]
Ugly Art Therapeutic Activities: Overcoming Perfectionism Through Intentional Mess
We live in a curated world where every image we see is polished, filtered, and carefully composed. When you sit down to create, you feel a crushing weight to make something decent-looking, if not even good-looking. But therapeutic art isn’t about the finished product; it’s about the process. By clinging to aesthetics, you silence your […]
The Emotions Wheel Art Journaling Activities for Emotional Intelligence
There is a direct correlation between a larger emotional vocabulary and improved emotional regulation. In this series, we unpack complex emotions to find the wisdom hidden inside them. Many studies found that individuals who could articulate their feelings with greater specificity were better equipped to cope with stress and experience fewer negative emotional outbursts. Think […]
Journal Prompts to Disempower Shame
Before we discuss shame, let’s first talk about saber-toothed tigers. In this series, we unpack complex emotions to find the wisdom hidden inside them. It’s an odd place to start, but it’s crucial. Shame is not just a feeling. It’s an ancient, hard-wired survival program. For our early ancestors, the single greatest threat to survival […]
Journal Prompts for Coping With Frustration
Frustration is the brain’s response to a prediction error. You expected a specific outcome, and it didn’t happen. In this series, we unpack complex emotions to find the wisdom hidden inside them. We usually think of frustration as a stronger version of annoyance. But biologically, frustration is much more complex than that. It’s a mix […]