During this period of stress from finishing midterms and beginning finals, there is no shortage of stress being passed around within and between individuals. Me personally, with 3 dance performances this weekend as well as 4 finals exams and 2 final projects, I’m definitely feeling the stress.

Have you ever felt a calming feeling from just scribbling on a piece of paper? Almost as if you were able to dump the emotions and feelings from your body? It doesn’t even have to be complex: a scribble with a ballpoint pen, some shapes, or even a detailed picture depicting your life or struggles. The spectrum is wide.

When we are stressed, the brain activates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, the system responsible for the body’s fight or flight response. Then, the amygdala will register the perceived stress and will send a distress signal to the hypothalamus, the command center. Then the hypothalamus which activates the pituary gland and signals the adrenal glands located on top of your kidneys. Those adrenal glands release cortisol, the primary stress hormone, along with adrenaline. Cortisol’s job is to increase glucose in the bloodstream, enhance the brains use if glucose, and temporarily suppress non-essential functions.

For short periods of time, stress may help you be more productive but being in this state for prolonged periods can be detrimental to one’s health. This level of stress is then the common topic for therapies as it is believed that it is the beginning catalyst of many stress and anxiety disorders.

A study titled, “Cortical Activity Changes after Art Making and Rote Motor Movement as Measured by EEG: A Preliminary Study” investigated the neural effects of engaging in art-making activities. Researchers measured cortical activity using electroencephalography (EEG) in participants while they made art and found that those activities led to increased activation in the prefrontal cortex, a region associated with higher-order cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making, and emotional regulation (King et al. 2017).

The graph shows the difference in before and after doing artistic activities and how there is a significant increase from before then after.

Engaging in art-making stimulates the brain’s reward pathways, leading to the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. This not only enhances mood but also reduces stress and anxiety levels. The act of creating art requires focus and concentration, which can serve as a form of mindfulness, diverting attention from negative thoughts and promoting a state of flow.

So, as we students are trying to find ways to manage our time and stress before we can reach our summer break, art is a possible outlet than can help us regulate that. In the next week, maybe take 5 minutes to doodle a little, maybe sit outside and draw what you see, or color a coloring page, it may do you some good!

References: King JL, Knapp KE, Shaikh A, Li F, Sabau D, Pascuzzi RM, Osburn LL. 2017. Cortical activity changes after art making and rote motor movement as measured by EEG: a preliminary study. Biomed J Sci Tech Res. 1(4):1062–1075

Note: I tried to include an image of a graph but also had the issue of the website not allowing me to upload a photo and only letting me use a link which I could’t do as my study was a pdf image