Introduction
As the world is moving forward on a fast pace now a days there can be seen a rise in mental health problems in people, stress has become a constant factor in everyone’s life and levels of stress can vary from person to person. Everyone is going through one of the many mental burn outs such as anxiety, anger and fear which adds up to an emotional burst and lashing out, while the person may not even realize the root cause of their behavior they tend dwell into their negative emotions and let it consume themselves into that negative energy completely, instead of releasing it and channeling their emotions in a more positive manner. In this article we will talk about how one can release these negative energies from their minds and channel their emotions inform of catharsis to release mind toxins and to have a healthy mindset and positive yet productive approach to life.
What is catharsis?
Catharsis is a process of releasing negative thoughts that can be said as purification or cleansing of the human mind. The catharsis theory was first used by Sigmund Freud in psychological therapy which stated that by expressing emotions a person should be able to reduce his negative emotions, the purpose of catharsis is to bring forward a positive change in a person who had been consumed by negativity through expressing their behavior inform of physical engagement, forms of catharsis can be known as the following:-
- Talking with a friend
- Journaling or expressive writing
- Exercise
- Making or viewing art
- Cooking and baking
Talking with a friend:-
We all need a good set of ears to listen to us, we all need to discuss our problems and share our thoughts with someone who can not only hear the words coming out of our mouth but can also empathize with us and can guide us accordingly. Talking with friends first and foremost prevents us from isolating ourselves which can be very much detrimental to our mental health, it can also helps us sift through our emotions and make us understand our condition in a better way, while talking to a friend the friend might not be able find a solution for your problems but you yourself might be able to come up with a solution because in that moment when the clouds of thoughts start to clear up from your mind you seem to realize your situation in a much better way and get a hold of what needs to be done and what not. Talking to a friend clears up your own confusions and the clouds of unnecessary thoughts clears up and blows away like a smoke you feel revived and energetic and are ready to face your problems and have a solution ready for making them to go away, your friend will not only be there to listen to you but also make you feel understood and will provide you with the much needed moral support they will calm your nerves and suggest of doing things with a more balanced approach and will check up on you.
Journaling or expressive writing:-
Most of the times a person goes trough stuff that can be quite personal and we don’t feel like sharing and yet again we find ourselves to be caught in the same labyrinth of thoughts, this state can be crucial in its own way where you feel like your lips are sealed and you can’t get a word out of your mouth during these challenging set of emotions the most preferred form of catharsis is journaling also known as express writing in a more casual way it can be known as mind dump. Over the past few years there has been a noticeable escalation in journaling world as people are trying to stay private and work through their problems many have been trying the journaling technique. Journaling helps us channel the thoughts and emotions of ours that we do not allow ourselves to express in front of others in person, we can therefore express all those emotions through words where we can write about how we feel and why do we feel in that certain manner , the root cause of our problems, we can plan our strategies and list our down our goals, we can write down about our intrusive thoughts and share our impromptu actions once it is all in the journal in form of words we feel relaxed and motivated to work towards our goals.
Exercise:-
Catharsis in form of physical exercise is always a great way to stay fit and healthy not just mentally but also physically exercising has been scientifically proven to be the mood boost up for people it helps in releasing the happy neurotransmitter which helps in the improvement of mood and also boosts up energy. Exercise provides a relaxation and helps in decreasing the levels of stress and anxiety not only that but exercise also helps you to let go of mental exhaustion it improves your self-esteem and increases confidence, exercise helps you feel good about yourself and nourishes the mind not that it only helps in alleviating your stress but also helps in sleeping better, as the physical activity tends to increase the body temperature which helps in calming the mind and sleeping better.
Making or viewing art:-
Art is an expression of clusters of thoughts and fumbling of the mind through colors and patterns it is an expression of the human mind in the most creative manner dealing with the complexity of the human mind. It helps people with depression and anxiety. Art is said to improve memory and decreases resilience when you engage yourself in artistic activities it helps increase your focus and concentration, it helps in reducing stress and lowering anxiety levels. The bright colors helps sooth the mind and the engagement that involves in creativity calms and relaxes the mind and the nerves. Happy neurotransmitters such as serotonin gets released into the brain and activates reward pathways in the brain which boosts up mood and optimism in the human being. Now a days many art therapies can also be seen to be practiced by many mental health instructors in order to motivate their client and boost their levels of energy.
Cooking and baking:-
While for many people catharsis can be a form of relaxation many others prefer to do something productive that can also be cathartic. A lot of people feel comfortable being in the kitchen as it allows to have room of being creative and productive when your focus shifts on to creating something you seem to forget about your problems and indulge yourself in the bliss of creating something that can be of sensory calmness once you bite into goodness of your final product, cooking involves of a lot of steps that keeps you focused and the little measurements takes up on your concentration because one less thing or more can mess up your performance hence baking or cooking something especially if you are someone who enjoys food and loves the kitchen can be the most productive form catharsis to exist. This way you can also show off your skills in the kitchen to seek validation and enjoy compliments and appreciation from friends and family as they enjoy your new creations each time.
