As college students, the hectic bustle of everyday life can become a stressor. Caring for one’s mental health can be neglected as students’ minds are continuously filled with looming deadlines and concerns over grades.
Nevertheless, expressing those emotions is essential, and art can be a powerful tool to do that — especially for college students. It’s important for students to take the time to recognize those feelings and have an outlet to share them.
The Center for Health Promotion hosted a tote bag painting event on Tuesday, Sept. 16, to raise awareness for Suicide Prevention Month — a way to not only gather the Marquette community in a shared activity but also allow students to destress through a creative outlet.
Jenan Halawa, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and a Wellness Peer Educator, sees the impact that creative events like these can have on mental health.
“It’s really cool when you walk around and see everybody’s tote bags that they are painting with these positive and inspiring messages,” Halawa said.
Additionally, she said that participating in the event benefits the mental health of students, and seeing the messages around campus on people’s bags can make an impact.
Beyond painting, students can utilize other creative outlets to benefit their mental health. Olivia Stanley, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and a Wellness Peer Educator, explained how other activities can help process emotions.
“I think a lot of the time the point of art is to describe emotions we can’t really put into words ourselves,” Stanley said.
 Art is something everyone can partake in, regardless of skill level, making it accessible for anyone to enjoy.
Katherine Fisher, a junior in the College of Business Administration, shared how art as an emotional outlet is beneficial for all kinds of people.
“I think even if you don’t consider yourself a very creative person, there’s a lot of opportunity for you to express yourself, your ideas [and] what you believe in through the art that you create,” Fisher said.
Making time to focus on yourself is especially crucial during this time, and partaking in art is a healthy way to do that. For students wanting to use art to help improve their mental health, here are some relaxing options to partake in during off-periods.
Listen to music
Whether it be classical, rap or pop, listening to music is a great way to refocus yourself on a different mindset when going through a difficult time.
Listen to inspirational or uplifting music to help bring yourself out of a rut. You can also listen to music that validates what you’re going through, something that conveys that you’re never alone in how you feel.
Make a craft
Paint, sew, crochet, or color. Find an enjoyable and relaxing outlet that works best for you. Do something that helps you focus only on the activity, giving your brain a break from outside stressors.
Cook or Bake
Nothing heals a bad spirit better than a delicious meal or sweet treat, and it’s even more rewarding when you’ve made it yourself.
Find a new recipe that seemed too challenging in the past. It will prove that you are capable of overcoming things that you may have thought were too hard.Â
Another option is to make a comfort meal, a meal you may have had a hundred times before but that has always made you feel better.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, head to Marquette University’s Counseling Center, where they provide outlets such as individual counseling or crisis services.
In case of a mental health emergency, dial 988 or consult the 988 Lifeline website.
This article was written by Elise Emery. She can be reached at [email protected].
