Mindful Living in this Digital Age
How to have a digital detox. Where does art, drawing, journaling, fit into selfcare?
Every day, sometimes every minute, the digital world infringes on your peace of mind. Every ding on a phone, every ad on the gas pump, every notification on your smartwatch causes a split second of distraction. Over a day or week, those distractions add up to a loss of focus and mental exhaustion. In the digital world, turning off your device and investing in self-care is crucial.
A creative practice soothes your nervous system and stimulates the creative side of your brain. Art, drawing, and journaling can be a fun way to nourish yourself.
But Wait! I’m not an artist! I don’t journal!
Before you say, “I’m not an artist,” please keep reading.
Here’s the thing…I’m not an artist. I dreaded art class. I can’t draw.
Until I stumbled into Renee Sandell’s Visual Fitness class at the Ranch. Every visit I commit to try something I “never” do, and that week, art was the experiment. With a 10 second exercise, Renee gave us permission to claim ourselves as artists, and over the course of three hours, she taught us to draw. Put yourself out there: next time you visit The Ranch try a class with Jennifer Brandt, our resident art teacher, see if there are classes in your community, or you probably have crayons or markers unused in your house right now. Go for it…all you do is put pencil to paper, and you are an artist!
I don’t journal. Who has time to write your inner thoughts? Certainly not me. Years ago, I discovered bullet journaling. Journaling doesn’t have to be pages and pages of your inner thoughts. It can be a sentence or two of details you want to remember.
I hope you are starting to see how to expand the possibilities of art, drawing, and journaling. Whatever practice you choose, do it in a way that appeals to you.
How do art, drawing, and journaling constitute self-care?
Art, drawing, and journaling are practices for mindfulness and self-care. The arrival of drawing in my life taught me to see. Creating a drawing requires mindfulness, attention, and seeing memorable details in a building or place. The practice of noticing brings you to the present moment, and creating art invites you to focus.
Documenting an observation or two in a journal invites you to consider what’s important to you, to assess something funny, or beautiful that you want to remember.
I’m not convinced. I’m still not an artist. And I still don’t journal.
If you still think there’s no chance, you’ll create art or start a one-sentence journal, you can bring art, drawing, and journaling to your mindfulness practice. Here’s a list to get you started. These practices will bring you into the present moment and get you off your device for a while.
·Cut photos out of magazines and glue them together in pleasing ways. (That’s collage, and it’s art!)
·Doodle randomly
·Visit a gallery and take in other people’s creativity
·Make jewelry
·Set a beautiful table for a dinner party
·Arrange flowers
·Garden
·Bake
·Write a note to someone you love (that’s journaling!)
·Write a quote you love on a sticky note
·Keep a list of funny things your children or grandchildren say
·Copy a favorite recipe and give it to a friend
·Organize your mother’s recipes into a book
All you have to do is open the door, even for a few minutes a day or once a week. Expand your definition of “art” to find the practice that lets you get caught up in the moment and “journaling” that lets you write anything you want. Put down your phone for five minutes, pick up those old crayons, and see what happens!
Christina Boyd-Smith, PhD is an accredited professional coach by the International Coach Federation. In addition to being the Corporate Rebel Coach, she works with clients in teams and 1:1 group coaches in her signature program, Clarity U, and is a speaker and author. Her no-nonsense and spirited style helps leaders and teams in business, non-profit, and educational organizations such as Target, GE, Boston Scientific, Northwestern Mutual, and the University of Minnesota. She teaches at the highly rated destination spa, Rancho La Puerta, and makes a wonderful peach pie.
