8th Aug 2024
Unlock Calm: How Zentangle® Can Transform Your Stress into Serenity
Every day in the UK, someone Googles the term “how to reduce stress” every 10 minutes on average, according to a recent blog by Forthwith Life. Add to that the fact that more than 1 in 7 UK adults say their mental health is the worst it’s ever been, and it’s a sobering thought.
With that said, there are many fun and easy ways to address this issue. These methods can be cheap, easy to learn, and fun. One option you may want to consider is Zentangle®. As a Certified Zentangle Teacher, I have witnessed the transformation that Zentangle has brought to both me and my students.
Far from being just another hobby – I’ve been known to be a bit faddy – Zentangle has completely changed my life. I hope to demonstrate with this blog how it can have a truly positive impact on you, too.
Introduction to Zentangle
A mindful drawing art form consisting of creating patterns in a small defined space, Zentangle is a relaxing pastime that brings your mind into the present moment. I don’t know about you, but when I practise traditional meditation, I sometimes get stressed about the breathwork and my apparent lack of ability to calm my mind. Zentangle is different. Because it also occupies my hands, there’s an added level of focus, and my mind calms down much more easily.
Personal Journey
When I first stumbled upon Zentangle, my life looked very different. As a sub-editor working for a famous publisher, I often found myself exploring various arts and crafts. My love for Spirograph had introduced me to the soothing power of repetitive patterns. However, it was a YouTube video on Zentangle that truly got me hooked. The structured yet liberating nature of Zentangle felt like a step beyond Spirograph, offering a deeper sense of mindfulness and relaxation. It pulled me in straight away – to the extent that I can’t even remember now where I’ve put my Spirograph set. Zentangle stole my heart!
Back in school, I used to draw patterns on the backs of old envelopes, repeating the same shapes and markings in each corner. Zentangle transported me back to those days, and it was a real lightbulb moment for me that I could find peace by just sitting down with a pen and paper to create these absorbing patterns.
Even better was the fact that, compared to many other hobbies, it’s relatively inexpensive – I’m sure my husband would agree that I’ve spent a lot less on pens and paper than he ever has on his golf supplies! A basic Zentangle kit includes just a paper tile, pen, pencil, and blending stump – but it’s something you could even do on the beach using a stick to draw on the sand!
Benefits and Evidence
According to a BBC article from July 2023, drawing is enjoying popularity again as many people have experienced the sense of flow they can achieve while practising. When artist Emily Haworth-Booth became ill with ME, the article states that she was unable to work. Trying to read or write sent her “into a spin.” She found mindful drawing “became a kind of anchor I could drop to ground myself, to reassure myself… I was ‘here’, reality was solid.” Drawing “noticeably reduced my anxiety and slowed down my breathing.” This allowed “healing to take place,” she says. After a drawing session, she felt “the relief and endorphin rush I’ve experienced after, say, a yoga class or a very useful psychotherapy session.”
It’s not only Emily and I who have experienced a reduction in stress after practising Zentangle. A 2021 pilot study in the journal Public Health found that practising Zentangle reduced feelings of work stress and psychological distress in rural healthcare workers in Taiwan.
Across the world, Zentangle can be used to self-soothe. It is also utilised as a complementary form of treatment by medical professionals, including the NHS. With Zentangle being such a calming practice, it can be used in various ways, from being offered to cancer patients to people on mental-health wards, and even staff themselves.
I can attest to the benefits of Zentangle myself. Having been signed off work for a couple of months in 2018 due to an extremely stressful work situation, the only thing that helped calm my anxiety was Zentangle.
Reading was impossible as I’d read and reread sentences without retaining anything. Watching TV and films was also difficult, as my mind kept drifting off. Zentangle was different and offered me solace and escape to the extent that I was determined to become a Zentangle teacher to help other people with this art form that has changed my life in ways I could never have imagined.
How to Get Started
As I delved deeper into the art of Zentangle, I realised just how transformative this practice could be. It became not only a source of relaxation but also offered me an alternative way of practising mindfulness. I wanted to share this experience with others, which led me to create a free ebook that guides you through your first Zentangle project, step-by-step.
It’s designed to help you experience the same sense of calm and focus that I found so life-changing. Whether you’re curious to try Zentangle for the first time or looking to deepen your practice, my ebook is a great starting point. You can download it here and learn more about how to use Zentangle as a mindfulness tool.
For those who prefer a more interactive approach, I offer regular classes both in-person in the southside of Glasgow and online. These sessions provide a supportive environment where you can explore Zentangle with me. If you’re interested, feel free to book your first lesson.
