For many of us, our world is full of problem-solving, logistics, errands, taxes, and responsibilities. In the farming/ranching community, that’s figuring out the next paddock, finding a bull that fits the genetic profile you need, and paying off the annual operating loan. Our brain spins constantly doing what it does best—processing like a computer to solve problems. It works so hard that it wakes us up at night sometimes, with our heart beating and our body sweating. Sometimes our brain gets into a spiral when it thinks there is no way to solve the problems we’ve given it. And sometimes our brain makes problems up, just so it can have a job to do.
This stress can become a serious issue for many. Suicide rates in agriculture are 3.5 times the national average, according to the National Rural Health Association[1]. A 2024 study of farmers in Illinois found that 34% of respondents met the criteria for at least mild anxiety disorder and 26% met the criteria for at least mild symptoms of depression, compared to 18-19% of the general population[2]. A greater proportion of women in the study experienced severe anxiety and depression as compared to the men in the study.
At the same time, finding help can be difficult, especially when we come from a culture that encourages us to solve our own problems.
So, how can we address our stress and anxiety?
One important step: calming down our brains.
It can be as easy as taking out a pen and some paper and doodling a bit.
Sounds silly? It’s not. It’s actually a therapeutic technique developed in the 1980s by Russian psychotherapist Pavel Piskarev. Like many other therapy techniques, it uses movement of our bodies, hands and eyes to interrupt and reframe the information sent through our neurons to and from our brains.
Of course it has a kind of nerdy name: “Neurographics.” But because it uses simple, portable tools, it’s available to you anytime and anywhere. Folks who use it find that it improves their focus and engages the right brain so they can address challenges more creatively.[3] In veterans with PTSD, it has been shown to reduce symptoms of nightmares, interrupted sleep, and to channel aggressive behavior and anger into healthy forms of expression. Neurographic art studies have shown that participants have decreased levels of cortisol (stress hormone), lower heart rate and blood pressure, and improved emotional resilience. [1]
Here’s what Neurographic art has done for me:
- Calmed down the stress in my chest and dissolved it.
- Changed the way I feel about money and the way that I talk about it inside my head.
- Woke up a creative part of me that makes me happy and joyful.
- It motivates me and helps me focus.
- I feel empowered to have a tool in my pocket to handle stress in any situation…just a pen and a piece of paper (or the margin).
- I feel better able to handle things when they come out of the blue and surprise me.
- I laugh more.
- I’m stuck in my head less.
Plus, when I’m done, sometimes I have a lovely drawing I can give to a friend. In fact, I am enjoying it so much that I was even able to overcome 30 years of self-judgment and doubt to put my artwork out for sale!
Try it out with me!
I’m so excited about how this simple tool has helped me that I wanted to share it with others. So, this Sunday, May 4 at 7 pm EDT, I’m putting on a Zoom workshop to give you the basic techniques to start reducing your stress and anxiety. We’ll start with the simple process, and then I’ll show you how you can expand it to add color and texture if that’s interesting to you. We’ll talk about how to use the art process to relax and reframe a problem.
In a world where nothing seems certain, what I am certain of is that this process can make a world of difference to you.
Register here.
P.S. Whether you attend or not, May the Fourth be with you.
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[1] https://toratherapeutics.com/the-therapeutic-power-of-neuro-arts-creative-expression-for-health-and-healing/
[1] https://www.wisfarmer.com/story/news/2024/11/10/study-examines-depression-and-anxiety-among-female-and-male-farmers/76189645007/
[2] https://www.wisfarmer.com/story/news/2024/11/10/study-examines-depression-and-anxiety-among-female-and-male-farmers/76189645007/
[3] https://www.artandobject.com/articles/neuroaesthetics-how-art-scientifically-proven-help-brain-health
