A recent poll by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) found that about half (46%) of Americans use creative activities to relieve stress or anxiety, such as playing the piano, painting, dancing with friends, or solving crossword puzzles. Americans who rate their mental health as very good or excellent tend to engage in creative activities more frequently than those who rate their mental health as fair or poor.

These are among the findings of APA’s July's Healthy Minds Poll on creativity and mental health conducted June 15-18, 2023, among a sample of 2,202 adults.

“We live in stressful times, and sometimes our jobs and responsibilities can drain our energy and our mental health,” said APA president Dr. Petros Levounis. “Creative activities aren’t just for fun, they can help us take a step back from the daily grind, use our brains differently, and relax. Picking up that paintbrush or solving a tricky puzzle can truly move us to a different mindset.”

According to HuffPost, here are the five creative activities people found most helpful in relieving stress:

• Listening to music. Music listening was rated one of the most pleasurable leisure activities, with 77% of people reporting that it helped them reduce their stress and anxiety. Research has shown that listening to music can balance the amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates emotions. Along with psychological benefits, music can also reduce pain, improve posture and movement, and decrease agitation associated with illness.

• Solving puzzles. Nearly 40% of the APA study respondents said that puzzle-solving helped reduce stress.  Puzzle games enhance the function of the prefrontal cortex, says HuffPost, which plays an important role in cognitive thinking, decision-making, concentration and problem-solving. A 2022 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that solving puzzles helped decrease shrinkage in the brains of seniors which in turn, may slow cognitive decline.

• Singing or dancing. About 25% of people in the APA poll cited singing and dancing as their stress-reducing creative outlet. “Activities such as singing and dancing are transformational because they enable us to process a variety of emotions by providing a safe outlet for their expression or their release,” said Gayle R. Berg, founder of Psychological Solutions in Roslyn Heights, New York. “Engaging in them not only provides a ‘shift’ in one’s attention and focus but changes one’s physiological state by providing a necessary respite from the stress and distress of life’s challenges.” In one study, group singing was found to help the cognitive health and well-being of older adults and those with mental health problems, lung disease, stroke and dementia. Synchronized movement during live music activates memory and perception. Berg added that physical activity, such as dancing, also releases natural endorphins, which elevate mood and make us feel good.

• Drawing, painting, or sculpting. Art therapy is a valuable treatment for mental illness and can play a role in alleviating the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The APA poll found that 24% of people turned to art to relieve stress. These nonverbal forms of expression help release negative emotions in people in a way they may not be able to express with words. Dr. Howard Liu, a psychiatrist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, told HuffPost that “creating a regular outlet for this self-expression through visual arts, sculpting, can help them find an emotional language of expression.”

• Creative writing. Keeping a journal can be therapeutic which is why 16% of people polled said they turned to writing to relieve anxiety and stress. “Writing can include creative writing, poetry, journaling, and autobiographic writing,” said Vaile Wright, the American Psychological Association’s senior director of healthcare innovation. It’s a way of chronicling both negative and positive experiences and viewing your reaction in a concrete manner.

“Creative activities are healthy distractions when we’re feeling distressed,” Wright told HuffPost. “What’s most important is the intentionality behind it. Really give yourself permission and recognize this is a priority to your emotional well-being. Really allow yourself to enjoy that time without feeling guilty.”