Popular trends in fashion, cars and other areas change with the seasons – and stress relief management is no exception. Researchers are busy finding new ways to fight stress and research is going on around the globe in order to use novel ways to fight stress effectively.
Everyone is looking for the next big thing when it comes to stress help, and 2008 was a particularly exceptional year. Some interesting research was conducted during this year and some new ways were suggested by researchers in order to help people fight stress.
So what form of stress therapy were the most popular? Read on to find out more!
Art Therapy – Art therapy is not new to science. Art therapy was suggested as a therapeutic tool already in the mid 20th century circa 1940.
To quote the “American Art Therapy Association”, Art therapy is:
“… a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight.”
In 2008, stress therapists began turning to art in order to provide their patients with stress help, with significant outcomes. After all, it’s no secret that painting, drawing and other types of art creation help to relax both body and mind -in fact, if you spend just twenty minutes painting or drawing a picture, your heart rate and blood pressure level greatly reduces, which means that you’ll feel more relaxed and stress-free in no time!
Marble Therapy – This stress treatment – which rose to popularity in the mid-nineties – made a significant comeback this year thanks to its effective power at releasing the tension of those who use it. The idea is to put two balls in the palm your hand and rotate them, using only the one hand, without touching balls. This is no small task especially if you have small hands or are a bit awkward or have just drank a half dozen martinis. By simply rolling the marbles in the palm of your hand while just concentrating on that activity, this therapy will make you feel instantly calm and refreshed. Scientists are not really sure why this work but they suspect that the routine movement of the hand may cause the brain to focus on the movement and let go of the stress causing factors.
Color Therapy – The use of Color as a Therapy is a truly holistic, non-invasive and powerful therapy which dates back thousands of years; evidence of this can be found in ancient texts from India, China and Egypt. In 2008, color therapy became all the rage when multiple studies proved that certain colors can have a relaxing effect on even the most frazzled minds. What’s the best color to stare at when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Experts say blue and green are best at producing a tranquil state of mind – just be sure to avoid other colors like fire-engine red and orange!
If you’re looking for a novel type of stress therapy, then be sure to check out these trendy methods, as they’ll have you feeling stress-free in no time!
Tags: american art therapy, american art therapy association, art therapy association, mental health profession, mid nineties, releasing the tension, stress relief management, stress therapy, stress treatment, two balls