One of the most common complaints of today is failing to manage stress. Whether it's due to a busy schedule, a work-oriented life, too much use of screens in our daily lives, or a combination of each, many people feel overwhelmed and experience burnout. To minimise the feeling of overwhelming, professionals often advocate mindfulness, hobbies, or other more creative activities that slow down and help the mind chill out. Of the different activities that are purported to help alleviate stress or anxiety, painting has to be at the top of the list. More specifically, a structured version of painting like Paint by Numbers offers a low-stress creative journey.
So, how can we turn the feeling of stress into a sense of peace of mind through painting? The trifecta of mindfulness, structure, and creativity gives adults and kids a mindful sense of accomplishment, which is a sense of comfort that we haven't experienced for some time now.
Mindfulness is essentially being engaged in the moment, being aware of what you are doing, and not passing judgment on it. Painting has a way of doing that. While you are dipping your brush, focusing on the canvas and filling in the colour, all that your mind is on is the present moment.
This rechanneling of your attention is very powerful in ruling out stress. Rather than worrying about past plays or worrying about future events, your mind energy is absorbed into the strokes and colours in front of you. Even if it's a short little paint session, it can feel like a mental rest, leaving you calmer afterwards!
Blank canvases can cause anxiety for many aspiring artists. Artists typically must make choices about colours, shapes and composition—the very choices they try to analyse as a way to reduce pre-painting anxiety. That's why numbered painting is so appealing—everything is laid out for the artist, complete with a set of instructions.
The artist then has colour portions where they have pre-marked sections to paint and can eliminate their fear of "making a mistake" or ruining their painting. The numbering alone has removed some of the decision fatigue, and the artists can enjoy the process so much more. The artist is able to get the same creative benefits they are looking for during freehand painting, but there is less risk of having to start from a blank canvas.
Stress fosters a fidgety mind that hops scatteredly from thought to thought, but repeating actions can calm a brain by giving it rhythm and order. By painting numbered areas, you provide this same experience.
Movement and slow action of placing the colour, one space at a time, "counts" as a meditation anyway. You are travelling around the canvas repeating the same actions, and the action will calm your breathing and thoughts. This ongoing and predictable stream of repetition is partly responsible for why people sometimes become lost in time when painting.
Another way that colouring and painting can reduce stress is that the activity gives a sense of progression: every step of the journey is visible and somewhat tangible, and with each stage accomplished, you see it develop into something more real. Every image is coming alive. Watching this transformation provides the mind with the little "wins" we all need that produce satisfaction.
When experiencing outcomes of overwhelming stress, it can be difficult to feel it is possible my manage life; to colour or paint just a little section of something and re-educate the mind that progress is possible, gives a little psychological boost to your confidence and joy - both of which certainly contribute to the relaxing aspect of the activity.
Stress often builds up when we suppress or hold on to our feelings. Painting provides a way of accessing and expressing those feelings. While kits may be systematic, they still allow a certain degree of artistic expression. Artists mix colours, put in highlights, and change shades, which affords them the avenue to release feelings in their painting. This quiet method of emotional expression allows feelings to be felt without expressing those feelings in words. The finished painting may have some leftover feelings that appear on the canvas, and when the feelings were intense at that moment, the painting becomes a physical emotional diary, or a keepsake of their emotional release.
Another factor that contributes to stress today is our use of technology and technology overload. Endlessly scrolling, obnoxious notifications, and constant digital noise can overstimulate our brains. Enter the painting! A painting offers a cognitive disconnect. By sitting with your blank canvas, paints, and brushes, you are occupying your hands and eyes with a tactile experience, and your mind is free from screens!
Giving everything a break and disconnecting also allows your nervous system to reset. Painting is a slower activity that also encourages calmness, improves attention, and, with practice, improves sleep!
Stress is not just for adults - kids can experience stress as well. Academic pressures, social pressures, or even screen time pressures can affect kids' health and well-being. Creative activities like Paint by Numbers for Kids give an alternative way of having kids to destress.
The Paint by Numbers for kids style of kit is a more basic approach to the creativity of painting, with less complicated designs, larger areas and colourful, fun subjects. Kids can use the kits for creative fun, not stress. As kids fill in their colours in the sections, they experience perseverance, develop fine-motor skills, and focus on the task in front of them. For me, I think the best of all experiences is that they get to enjoy the soothing repetition of the painting process, which helps them experience a calm state of mind when they are feeling anxious or restore their emotional equilibrium.
Collaborative art can also reduce stress. Families who have participated in collaborative painting have indicated that this activity provided a platform that enhanced communication and connection. Couples, friends, or parents and children can simultaneously produce a single piece of canvas or create a larger collaborative piece.
The shared focus shifts energy away from stress and into experiencing the joy of being engaged in the creative process. This connection and bonding allow for a shared experience of art making that starts to create a solid foundation for the relationship and, in turn, becomes a buffer from the stressors of everyday life.
One of the best things about this hobby is that it produces a tangible result. When you are finished, your completed painting can be framed, hung, or given as a gift. Seeing the completed painting reminds you of the peaceful moments of focus when you were busy creating the piece.
For many, this elevates the activity from a hobby to a lifestyle of mindful relaxation. The piece is transformed from a beautiful decoration to a marker of achieving stress relief and personal achievement.
The reason everyone loves numbered painting is because of accessibility. It can be a great unwind for professionals or for children just finding their creative outlet. Many people can pick up a brush, no matter their abilities, and create a great piece of art.
It can be done alone for a therapeutic time or with fellow creatives for fun. It is an accommodating medium for de-stressing as it accommodates everyone of any age or from any aspect of life.
Conclusion
So, how does this experience turn stress into calmness? The elements of mindfulness, structure, repetition, and visible progress make painting an extremely useful method of relaxing. It allows you to focus on the here and now; there are fewer decisions to make, and it directs your emotions into creativity. While for Adults Paint by Numbers becomes a soothing escape from daily stresses, for Kids Paint by Numbers provides focus, patience, and emotional fortitude, all within a playful experience.
Ultimately, it is the simplicity of this experience that holds the true magic. To decorate based on numbers and fill the spaces with colour allows stress to fall away and your cares to melt as you enjoy the calmness, focus and quiet satisfaction of making an object that holds meaning.