When Stress Hijacks Your Body
Ever notice how stress can hit out of nowhere, one minute you’re fine, the next your chest feels tight, your thoughts are all over the place, and you just feel… off?
Stress can hijack your body and mind, and getting back to calm often takes way longer than we want.
That’s because your nervous system is on high alert, and it’ll keep you in “survival mode” until it finds evidence of safety.
Here’s the good news: there’s a simple, powerful practice that can shift you out of stress and into calm almost immediately. That practice is gratitude.
Not just saying “thank you,” but actually feeling it in your body. Making it your identity, as Neville Goddard recommends.
Practicing gratitude in this way:
Moves your body out of survival mode and into calm.
Shifts your mind from racing to focused and peaceful.
Lifts your spirits where you are open to possibilities again.
Why Gratitude Needs a Bridge
The problem is that thinking of gratitude when stressed is hard. That’s where art comes in.
Taking a colored pencil or crayon, letting your hands move, and focusing on a simple coloring exercise helps your nervous system relax. You start to breathe more naturally, your mind slows down, and gratitude becomes easier to access.
This is exactly why I use coloring to help women reconnect with themselves. In my workshops, I guide participants through prompts that connect gratitude to their lives. For example:
What if the problem you’re facing could be reframed with gratitude?
Coloring while reflecting helps you actually feel the gratitude. It’s not just in your head; it’s feeling it through movement, focus, and color.
When Art Becomes Medicine
I saw it happen this weekend at the Bruce Museum, where I led a gratitude workshop during their Wellness Day.
One woman, in recovery from brain tumor surgery, told me how much she loved coloring again after years away from art. Beyond the emotions, it gave her a way to use her hands and practice her motor skills, a meaningful step in her healing. That touched me deeply because it shows how art is also medicine for the body.
Your Invitation to Calm
Next time anxiety, frustration, or any negative emotion takes over you, grab any piece of paper and spend 5 minutes coloring while asking yourself:
'What if this difficult situation is actually preparing me for something better?
Use the colors that come to mind, enjoy the process, and listen to the answer.
And if you’re ready to reflect on your emotions and move from stress to calm, join me this Tuesday, September 23rd, for my Cup and Color workshop. We’re focusing on ‘Fear,’ something I know many of us are carrying right now.
Come experience it with me. Your nervous system will thank you.
I’m Claudia, a portrait artist passionate about bringing joy and inspiration through creative expression. I facilitate painting events, coloring workshops, and drawing lessons designed to help you reconnect with yourself, find healing, and enjoy the process of making art.
I’m also available to design custom workshops and unique painting events tailored to your group’s needs. If you’d like to plan a creative experience for your community, workplace, or special occasion, please feel free to email me. I’d love to help you create a meaningful and inspiring event.
Let’s talk about unique painting events perfect for team bonding and programming.
Ready to create with me?
Email: claudia@marulandaart.com
Folks are loving your workshops and it is great seeing you make an impact in folks lives. Keep it up!