Regulate to Create

I had time to work on a painting. A part of me really wanted to work on a painting.

But I woke up in a funk and it felt like a bigger part of me just didn't want to.

I went for a walk in the woods. The sun, the movement, and nature calmed my emotions. As I moved, they moved through me instead of feeling stuck and overwhelming.

When I got home, I doodled which helped me channel my emotions into something creative without any pressure.

And, then, without any forcing on my part, I found myself working on my painting, enjoying it, feeling the flow, happily creating what I had been envisioning.

There are few things better than that!

If you struggle with Executive Function, regulating your emotions can be a challenge. Without finding your way through them, with them, you may have many unrealized visions.

A few things tend to work:

1. Move your body. It doesn't have to be intense. It can be an easy walk or even some soft stretching. Emotions are embodied, not just in our heads.

2. Have a creative go-to exercise that isn't about the results. This is something you can do without much effort. (Doodling is mine.) It gets your brain into the creative mode without the pressure we sometimes put on ourselves which can cause resistance.

See if that doesn't help you to transition into a more regulated space where your deeper desire to work on your creative projects can be turned into satisfying action.

☆★ Creative Challenge ★☆ What's a fun, non-results-driven creative activity that calms you down?