How Art Can Help New Parents Relax

How Art Can Help New Parents Relax
*This is a guest post and all opinions are those of the author. This post may also contain affiliate and/or paid links. Rest assured that we only work with companies and individuals that we trust. While some of those companies and individuals may work in the medical field, this post is not intended to be a substitution for medical advice. Always speak to your doctor if you have concerns about your mental or physical health.

You’ve just put your baby to bed. Now, it’s time to take a deep breath and relax. However, sometimes it can be difficult to unwind. Your body might be tired, but your brain is still buzzing with plans for tomorrow.  If you’re experiencing this frenzy, it might be a perfect opportunity for you to embrace an art-related hobby. Art and craft projects are perfect for helping new parents relax because crafting can:

Reduce stress

The repetitive motion of many arts and crafts invokes a calming rhythm, similar to meditation.

Decrease depression and anxiety

The repeated motion and relaxed breathing used in many art projects can release serotonin — the body’s natural anti-depressant — in the brain.

Build self-esteem

Being a new parent can be difficult. Just when you think you have the hang of something, your baby decides to switch up the routine. Take a few minutes to tackle an easy win, such as a quick, de-stressing art project.

Relieve insomnia

The repetitive motion of creating art can calm the mind, especially when combined with non-stimulating background sounds, such as those from a sound machine or white noise app on your phone.  Crafting before bed can help you sleep better.

Occupy your hands

If you are prone to stress-eating, pick up an art-related hobby instead of a bag of chips. Holding and engaging with craft supplies can help keep you from eating mindlessly while watching TV.

Help prevent memory loss

Learning a new skill — even a skill that is not physically or mentally demanding — can help keep your mind sharp by strengthening the neural connections in the brain.

Be done while seated or standing

If you’ve been on your feet all day, it feels wonderful to sink into your favorite couch and put your feet up. By the same token, if you’ve been at a desk for several hours, it feels just as good to stretch your legs, back and shoulders. If you need to do more standing than sitting during your art projects, try crafting at a counter-height dining table or at a standing desk. Stand-up desks can also help keep little ones from getting into your art supplies.

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Give It a Try!

Art doesn’t have to be intimidating or overly complicated. You can find easy art options — such as paint-by-number sets — at your local crafts store or supermarket. If you’re on a tight budget, you could create some simple works of art from the everyday objects around your home!

Here are some art and craft ideas to help any parents relax, new or tenured. Remember, don’t leave your projects unattended and always stow supplies before you retire for the evening.

Paint-by-number sets

Paint-by-number kits have improved tremendously since they debuted in the 1950s. During those days, the enclosed “canvasses” were pieces of cardboard that would sometimes bend and warp. Usually, there was only one type of brush included and the thick colors of pigment arrived in plastic containers that refused to stay closed, so the paints would often dry into cracked fossils before you could finish painting.

Today’s paint-by-number kits are much better. Many canvasses are made of woven linen and are available in various sizes. You can find kits with acrylic-based paints that are non-toxic, making them safe for kids, pregnant moms, pets and the environment. Many kits even include multiple brushes and hanging hooks. Best of all, in addition to contemporary abstracts and classic images by Klimt and Van Gogh, your personal photos can be uploaded to create custom canvas templates.

Coloring books

Grown-up coloring books can be purchased online or found in the magazine section of supermarkets and drug stores. Their images feature a range of patterns and topics, from Zen-inspired mandalas to realistic images of the human musculoskeletal system. Shade them with colored pencils, markers, highlighters from your home office or your kids’ crayons.

Crocheting and knitting

One current trend is arm knitting, which incorporates your arms, wrists and hands instead of knitting needles or crochet hooks. The result is a chunky blanket made of giant stitches. It’s easy to learn, and fun to complete!

Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles often incorporate famous artwork. Assembling the pieces lets you engage with works of art even if you’re unable to visit the museums in which they are housed.

Origami

There are hundreds of paper-folding patterns available online. Their difficulty levels range from easy to mystifyingly complex. Like any art project, start simple and work your way up.


Art Therapy
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Creating art is a perfect activity to help new parents relax. Crafting is great for your self-care time, while you make masterpieces to use throughout your house. Plus, artistic activities can be accomplished quietly, enabling you to listen for the kiddos. Alternatively, many art projects — such as coloring — can be done as joint projects, with little ones working on their creations by your side. The next time you need some quiet time to rejuvenate your body, mind and soul, choose an art project.


Author Bio

Anna Baker is Social Media Manager for Crafts by Numbers, a provider of premium paint by number products. Baker has more than a year experience within the industry and focuses on managing various social networks.

Best DIY Hobbies to Help You Cope With the Lockdown 

Don’t know what to do during these uncertain times? Consider taking up one of these hobbies to help you cope with being in lockdown.  Since Covid-19 spread all across the globe, we don’t have another alternative than to stay indoors. People are having real struggles dealing with their daily life routine, once the pandemic broke their personal habits and careers.  

It’s inevitable to become bored, without actually knowing why, and this can have huge impacts on your mental health. Studies have shown that depression and anxiety have increased especially in the young adult generation since this pandemic struck our modern society.  

You’ve already boosted your working-home station, did a number of workouts to keep the spirit up, and binge-watched all TV series that Netflix has to offer. So… what more is there to do? Don’t worry, today we’ll help you find out, with some incredible and productive hobbies to help you cope with quarantine. Get creative and keep your mind healthy! 

Best hobbies to help you cope with the lockdown
*This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust.
Best hobbies to help you cope with the lockdown

Woodworking 

This isn’t a general hobby that can be adapted to everyone. It’s a bit hard, especially if you don’t have a shop station where you can make any type of mess you like, for example, if you live in an apartment or in a cozy study. But if you happen to have enough space at your house, woodworking can be a total stress relief.  

Are you getting sick and tired of that coffee table getting old in the middle of your living room? If you’re a handy person, you know that building something from scratch, with your own dedication and working-craft abilities, can seriously improve your personal achievements. Woodworking can be an option for those stressful and anxious days, since it takes some time and dedication while realizing that you’re creating something from nothing! It’s cheaper than buying a new desk and it’s totally worth it, having something home-made by yourself.  

There are some DIY shops that can help you get all the materials you need, at cheap prices like this site. And there’s nothing more helpful than your friend “YouTube tutorials” to help you get started.  

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Knitting  

We’ve never really appreciated our grandmother’s work during childhood, but it turns out that knitting can be a huge stress reliever, while giving your room a whole new appearance. Being thorough isn’t always a flaw. Having a blanket made with creativity and caution can help be a great coping mechanism, for example. Being focused on tiny details can help your concentration and increase your serotonin levels, while your bed gets a whole new fancy look. If you have a birthday coming up, what a lovely way to deliver something home-made to a friend or family member. 

Candle Making 

Did you know you can make your own scented candles? Candles are totally trending right now and as you know, their scent can create a relaxing environment. If you do little research you can find cheap and environment-friendly ingredients that can also be recycled. Fragrance or essential oils are a tremendous improvement to revive your mood, energy and your sleep routine! 

Art Therapy
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Painting  

Like knitting, you can improve your concentration skills if you take a little time coloring or drawing. It’s a relaxing and fulfilling craft that can help you loosen up for a bit, and I’ll ensure you’ll lose track of time, while getting lost in the canvas.  

If you’re not much of an artist, you can acquire drawings that are custom made and color them following the paint instructions, usually by numbers. This requires way more concentration and helps your brain to focus on one function only. Painting is one of the most relaxing hobbies to help you cope with feeling isolated.

Calligraphy Master  

If you’re looking for a mindfulness activity, calligraphy can be the answer. With a beginner’s tutorial, you can improve your hand-writing skills and fundamental practices of this art at home, while reconnecting with yourself. You can learn the functions of ink, dip-pen, or brushing writing while creating different shapes or primer strokes. A great hobby to relieve your brain from nowadays struggles. 

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Stay Home… Stay Safe! 

As you can see, being at home can be really productive. There are always meditation and online therapy courses you can do, in order to keep your mind away for a bit while learning new skills that can be really helpful in the future. Discovering new passions gives you a sense of joy and fulfillment, and these activities can be the food your brain needs during this time indoors. Listen to what your mind has to say, and answer the call. It’s never too late to change your daily routines and discover new pleasures.