How to begin with mindful doodling - finding calm during stressful times

I’ve been doing a lot of mindful doodling lately – it’s been bringing me peace and calm during stressful times. There’s something very soothing about making repetitive movements with your hand, and it gives your brain a focus without having to really think about what you’re doing.

In this simple make, I’m giving you a really quick introduction to mindful doodling, so you can try it at home. I like to put the radio or a podcast on while I doodle, but you could also simply enjoy the soundscape of the noises around you.

You will need

• Some paper

• Any old pen (I use a biro)

• Colouring pens or pencils (optional)

How to do it

Pick a shape. It could be as simple as a circle, a triangle, or a heart… or a simple pattern you can easily repeat. If you need inspiration, look around the room you’re in, and see what shapes you can see.

Draw the pattern over and over until you’ve filled your paper up.

Try not to overthink this, just go with what your hand wants to do. There’s no right or wrong. Draw your shape any way you want to.

You’ve basically now created your own mindful colouring in page, so if you want to, colour your shapes in!