Change Your Mood with a Doodle
Written by: Susan Watson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I love doodling. It really enhances how you feel in so many ways. And today, we are going to explore this further. You may want to have paper and pen or pencils beside you just in case you fancy a wee doodle.
Let us start by looking at what doodles are.
What are doodles?
Doodles are non-verbal messages that are sent from the unconscious mind. They are viewed as symbolic, visuals representing feelings, thoughts, and perceptions of ourselves and the world around us.
Scientific tests have taken place, and it was identified that men typically draw shapes, like squares and circles, whereas women draw out faces. Men and women tend to doodle differently.
Think about this: Do you have anything that you tend to doodle more of?
There are real benefits linked to doodlings, like creativity, better learning, and performance.
When you doodle, you help your mind tap into deeply held emotions that perhaps you may avoid or have hidden them away, doodling can bring them to the surface, and if you use this as a tool to support your feelings, this can increase a sense of mental balance and inner peace.
Doodling can provide relief from distress and help make sense of confusing thoughts and memories, bringing them into the present “now” world. These benefits will help you relax and de-stress and also improved concentration and clarity of thought.
Doodling is a simple form of art, and anyone can do this; you do not need to have any special skills at all. All you need is a pen or pencil and a sheet of paper; this has been even proven to help with depression and anxiety and increase mindfulness and staying in the moment rather than focusing on the past or worrying about the future.
We all need a good laugh. Laughter helps cheer us up, and we experience a release of “happy hormones.” When you draw and drawing faces are good this for this, your minds tap into your brain's right frontal lobe, the mind's funny bone. You really start to see the funnier side of life.
Drawing out mental pictures and doodles from the unconscious mind has also been proven to be useful for reducing anxiety and increasing a sense of calm and peace. Well worth it. If you experience anxiety, why not try it and see how you get on. This can be useful whenever you feel anxious or nervous, perhaps for an exam or a job interview.
If you want to doodle more and support your own well-being, here are some suggestions on how to start.
Draw ordinary things, shapes, and squiggles.
Draw circles, faces, or eyes, etc.
Use colors to express how you feel.
You can even close your eyes and doodle and see what happens.
Try using your less dominant hand and then your dominant hand – see what comes up for you.
Try having a little pad and a pencil with you, so you can use this little and yet so powerful method whenever you need it most.
Lastly, you can also use a method that is for solutions and problem-solving. This is also great for kids. Draw what is bothering you or causing you any issue. Do not really pay too much attention to it. Just enjoy the drawing. Draw how you would like to feel or the solution you would like. Again, just draw it without scrutinizing it too much. Lastly, draw another picture of how you can get there. Just let your hand move. Try dominant and non-dominant hands. Use colors, stickers, anything you want, just enjoy it. Put it away. This engages your own creative mind to find solutions that suit you best.
If you would like to know more hints and tips to improve wellbeing, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!
Susan Watson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Susan Watson specializes in working worldwide with all ages experiencing Anxiety, Emotions, and Trauma in a content freestyle so that no talking really needs to occur unless wanted. Working with feelings and emotions within the body, Susan releases the emotional connection of past experiences. She teaches self-help tools to help others live their best life, the life that is deserved. Susan supports individuals, groups, and the workplace with her Be Your Own Empowered Hero workshops, which were introduced as a measure to reduce the risk of future issues with mental and emotional health.
