How to Use Art to Reduce Stress After a Long Day

 After a long day whether it’s been filled with meetings, emails, caregiving, or just the weight of being human—your body and mind can feel completely drained. You might feel overstimulated, restless, exhausted, or just... numb. And yet, even after the day ends, true rest often feels out of reach.

We scroll, we snack, we try to relax—but it doesn’t always work. That’s because we’re often skipping crucial step  processing. Unwinding isn’t just about doing nothing. It’s about gently tending to what’s built up inside.

Why Art Works for Stress

We’re often taught to process emotions by talking about them. But sometimes, our bodies and minds need something deeper—something more intuitive, more sensory, more honest.

Here’s why art helps:

• It bypasses the need for words. You don’t need to explain your emotions—you just express them, through colour, shape, texture, and movement.
  
  

• It brings you into the body. Stress lives in the shoulders, jaw, chest. Art can ground you through touch and rhythm.
  
  

• It slows down your nervous system. Making art activates the parasympathetic response: breathing slows, muscles relax, the brain softens.
  
  

• It offers control and agency. When you feel overwhelmed, making something—even a simple drawing—can remind you: “I can shape my experience.”
  
  

• It creates space. A blank page, a patch of clay, a splash of colour—it all becomes a place to lay down what you’ve been carrying.
  
  

“But I’m Not an Artist…”

That’s okay this isn’t about producing “good” art. In fact, at Art Reach Collective, we often say: the messier, the better. You don’t need talent. You need permission—to play, explore, make marks, and let go.

Your art doesn’t have to be pretty. It only has to be honest.

Art Practices to De-Stress at Home (Starting Tonight)

You don’t need a full studio. You don’t need a big block of time. You just need a little space, a little quiet, and willingness to show up for yourself. These activities are gentle, flexible, and designed to meet you exactly where you are.

1. Free Mark-Making (5–10 minutes)

Grab a pen, pencil, or charcoal. Use any paper. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Close your eyes (if you want), and just let your hand move. Scribble. Circle. Crosshatch. Press hard, then soft.

Notice the rhythm of your hand. Let the day pour out through the marks. This is about movement, not meaning. Let it be messy.

You might feel your shoulders drop, or your breathing deepen. That’s the nervous system calming itself.

2. Mood Colouring

Pick 2–3 colours that feel like your mood right now. Don’t overthink it—just choose intuitively. With pastels, markers, pencils or paint, begin filling the page: with shapes, washes, smudges.

If you’re feeling angry, maybe you press hard with reds or blacks. If tired, soft greys and pale blues. If anxious, sharp zigzags or repeating patterns.

There are no rules. This is a visual weather report for your soul.

3. Clay or Tactile Work

Tactile materials like air-dry clay, Play-Doh, or even bread dough can help release pent-up tension. Roll, press, pinch, squeeze.

Don’t try to sculpt something. Just let your hands explore.

This can be deeply soothing if you’ve spent your day on screens or in your head. Let your body talk.

4. Collage for Calm

Tear out magazine pages, old books, scrap paper, fabric swatches—anything with colour or texture. Cut or rip freely. Glue down whatever feels interesting.

No need for a theme. You can collage based on how your day felt, or how you wish it had felt.

This is especially good for quieting the inner critic—college is all about letting accidents lead the way.

5. Visual Journaling

In a journal or sketchbook, write one sentence:
“Today I felt…”
Then, around or over those words, draw, paint, or scribble.

You might decorate the sentence with colours that match the emotion. Or bury the sentence under thick lines. Or repeat it.

This fusion of language and art lets your brain process thoughts emotionally, not just intellectually.

Art in Motion: Music + Marks

Put on music that matches your mood—or one that shifts it. Then, let your art respond to sound.

Quick beats? Scribble fast. Slow vocals? Make gentle spirals. This is a full-body stress release.

You’ll feel more connected to rhythm, sensation, and breath.

How to Make It a Habit (Without Pressure)

We all start with the best intentions. But life is busy. Here’s how to make art something you actually return to:

• Create an “art nook.” A little corner, basket, or shelf with your tools always ready to go.
  
  

• Set a gentle routine. Maybe it’s after dinner, or right before bed. Even 10 minutes counts.
  
  

• Keep materials simple. You don’t need a full art set. Paper + 2 tools = enough.
  
  

• Celebrate showing up. Not the outcome. You did something kind for yourself. That’s worth honouring.
  
  

• Don’t judge the art. Ever. Some days it’ll feel right. Some days it won’t. Keep going.
  
  

A Few Words on Science

You don’t need research to know something helps. But it’s nice when the science agrees:

• Art-making lowers cortisol (the stress hormone)
  
  

• It activates the brain’s reward system (dopamine)
  
  

• It engages the parasympathetic nervous system (rest + digest)
  
  

• It helps regulate mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
  
  

In other words, art doesn’t just feel good. It does good physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Let Art Be Your Soft Landing

At the end of a long day, you don’t need to be productive. You don’t need to fix everything. You just need a space to land.

Art can be that space.

It can catch the parts of you that feel too full, too tired, too much. And as you make, shape, colour, and explore, you might just find a part of yourself you forgot was still there—quiet, creative, and deeply alive.

Come Create With Us

If you’d like to explore this more deeply, we’d love to welcome you.
Reach out to ArtReach Collective for group classes, art therapy, or creative support in your home.

Because creativity isn’t about art. It’s about being human.