Stress management, we ALL at some point undergo stress, its an essential yet shitty byproduct of a joyful human experience. While your brain feels like it’s running a marathon while simultaneously trying to solve a Rubik’s cube, sometimes you need something more than deep breathing to keep from losing your mind. Maybe its because I grew up in the era of Saturday morning cartoons and reruns of Tom and Jerry, but I very much picture and visualize stress as making me red and steam coming out of my ears, so I look at stress relief as a valve that releases AAAALLLLLL the bad (I used to teach yoga, exhale the bad to give you room to inhale the good.). From work pressures to personal challenges, it can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. But did you know that one of the best ways to manage stress might just be to create, express, and explore? Engaging in creative activities like art, writing, and music not only offers a fun escape, but can also provide therapeutic benefits to calm the mind and rejuvenate the spirit. Here are some creative outlets that can help alleviate stress, all while having a blast.

Art: When Words Fail, Colors Speak

Forget being the next Picasso. This isn’t about creating museum-worthy masterpieces. It’s about splashing color around and telling your brain to shut up for a minute. Mixing colors and mediums have been proven to raise cortisol levels in repeated studies. Pro tip: Those adult coloring books? Total game-changers. Especially the ones with the naughty words, those help and who didnt color in bubble letters on stuff in school. I love those or the really pretty Mandalas! Last year I even got hubby one, the Mandalas were all boobs lol he loved it.

Writing: Your Brain’s Emotional Dumpster

Journaling isn’t just for angsty teenagers. It’s like having a conversation with yourself where you don’t have to apologize for your wild thoughts. Often offering both clarity and release, fiction, poetry, stream of consciousness – whatever helps you dump those mental gremlins onto paper. Stream of consciousness writings are my favorite. When something is bothering me I like to sit down and just start writing and just see where it takes me. Whether you’re writing a letter to yourself, crafting poetry, or telling a short story, the act of writing helps organize your thoughts and reduce emotional overload. Sometimes its funny sometimes its revealing in that sometimes I will be writing about whatever is bothering me and whatever the answer is it jumps onto the paper after I’ve worked it out in my head and put it to paper. Other times I will write about a problem and put it away for a set amount of time NOT thinking about it and go back to it after a day or so and when I look at it again it doesnt matter as much or I immediately come up with a solution I couldnt think of when I was laser focused on it. Any way you look at it, getting the words out (to your own eyes anyway) can’t make it worse.

Music: Turning Emotional Chaos into Sound

You don’t need to be a rock star. Singing in the shower, drumming on kitchen counters, or creating the world’s most chaotic Spotify playlist counts as therapy. Music has the incredible ability to transport you to another place. Research has shown that playing music, or even just singing along to your favorite tunes, can reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and boost your mood. My personal recommendation? Find that one song that makes you forget everything else exists. Put on kitchen concerts for the animals. Blast the music while you are cooking and embarrass your teenager by singing along to all the songs at full volume with the confidence that said teenager used to sing the wrong lyrics with. LOL I hate saying ‘kids these days’ but its true, they didnt have radio before lyrics were freely available, remember when you were young singing along to songs with your friends only to realize you’ve been singing the wrong words so you missed the meaning in the song entirely lol. Music has hit me HARD in the last few years, and I have such eclectic taste, I love songs with that emotional breath catch, not like the fake movie ones but like just pure angst they just can’t contain the little noise that goes with it. Thats my favorite. I dont drive anymore but that used to be my go to, getting in the car and driving, windows down (well usually smoking back then too) and blasting the music loudly singing along. I do miss that, being a passenger doesnt work, it just hits different I dont know why.

Crafting: Hands Busy, Brain Quiet

Whether it’s knitting, building model trains, or creating the world’s most elaborate paperclip sculpture, sometimes keeping your hands busy is the best way to quiet your mind. Its for the same reason some people have to do lists, crossing those little things off the list give you a sense of accomplishment and a craft project, especially something tangible you can see and feel. Repetitive motions can be calming too. I generally read a book but when I’m going through things in my head I can’t sit still so I make things. Not good things, I made a coat hanger Christmas tree for my room because I love the lights. I’m tempted to become like a teenager and line my room with LED light strips I love the soft glow. I did a number of crafty gifts this year too. My little monkey (well not so little but my youngest will always be my little monkey) likes four different NFL teams and wanted merch for each for Christmas. We all know how expensive that would have been so I made her ornaments for each team. Little things like that.

Dance Like Nobody’s Watching (Seriously, Nobody’s Watching)

No choreography required. Just you, some music, and zero judgment. Moving your body releases endorphins and reduces stress. Dance also helps to reconnect with your body in a positive way, making it an excellent tool for both physical and mental wellness Pro move: Close the curtains and go absolutely wild. Ever since I was a teenager when I got upset I’d be in my room singing and dancing to the music I was blaring. It warns my family I’m going through some shit in my head and now might not be the best time to ask me for more since I’m already super overwhelmed. And in the kitchen while I am fixing dinner, it used to be a routine, me and monkey dancing around in the kitchen lol.

Cooking and Baking: Whisk Your Worries Away

Now we should also be talking about turning your kitchen into a stress-free zone. Cooking isn’t just about not starving – it’s like therapy, but with tastier results. Chopping veggies can be weirdly zen, and don’t even get me started on the magic of kneading dough. It’s like punching your problems, but in a socially acceptable way.Here’s the deal: whipping up a meal gives you control when everything else feels chaotic. Plus, experimenting with flavors is way more fun than spiraling into anxiety. And let’s be real, comfort food is called that for a reason. Bonus points if you share your creations – nothing beats the warm fuzzies of feeding your people.

Photography: Capturing Calm in the Chaos

Ever notice how looking through a camera lens can make the world seem less… overwhelming? It’s like putting on anxiety-canceling glasses. Suddenly, you’re not worrying about your to-do list; you’re hunting for that perfect shot of a flower or your friend’s goofy smile. Photography is sneaky mindfulness. You have to slow down, breathe, and really look at what’s around you. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a fancy camera or just your phone – the point is to capture those little moments of “oh, hey, the world isn’t so bad after all.”

Gardening: Nature’s Therapy

Let’s get our hands dirty, folks. Gardening isn’t just for retirees with too much time on their hands. It’s like playing in the dirt, but as an adult, and with purpose. There’s something stupidly satisfying about watching a seed you planted turn into an actual plant. It’s like, “Look, I made life happen!” – which is pretty cool when you’re feeling powerless. Even if you don’t have a green thumb (hello, plant murderers anonymous), just being around plants can chill you out. It’s nature’s way of saying, “Relax, dude. If I can grow through concrete, you can handle your day.”

Embrace Your Inner Weirdo Creator

Here’s the thing about all these stress-busting activities: there’s no right way to do them. Can’t cook without burning water? Who cares! Your photos all blurry? Big deal! Plants keep dying? Join the club! (seriously I swear they see me coming and unalive themselves LOL) The point isn’t to be good at these things. It’s about finding something that makes your brain shut up for a bit. Whether you’re painting stick figures, writing terrible poetry, or growing the world’s saddest basil plant, you’re giving your stress the middle finger. You can combine a lot of these creative pursuits, take a picture of the food you made all pretty, hell take pics of your ugly creations too, all the abominations, so if you decide to stick with whatever the creative pursuit you can keep track of how far you’ve made it. So next time you’re feeling like the world’s out to get you, try picking up a spatula, a camera, or a watering can. Your stressed-out brain will thank you – and hey, you might even have some fun along the way.Remember, gang: creativity isn’t about being perfect. It’s about telling stress to fuck all the way off. Til next time gang, take care of yourselves, and each other!