Rui-katsu, which in Japan means “seeking tears”, is a service that provides a safe space for people to cry, claiming to reduce stress and help those shy away from expressing their emotions due to cultural restrictions. Hidefumi Yoshida, a tears teacher, believes that tears have amazing healing powers.
3, “Cry Closet” aims to help college students relieve stress:
An art exhibit on the University of Utah’s campus is attracting a lot of attention. “The Cry Closet” has become a welcome distraction for students as they cram for finals. Created by an art student, the closet is meant to relieve stress at the end of the semester.
According to the Yuanyuan’s feedback from last intervention workshop, I got some new idea about third workshop, she mentioned that she always listen some music, explore the story and background behind each song, which is kind of like music therapy.
I remember that at the beginning of Covid-19 in China this spring, wuhan, as the worst-hit area, faced high mental and physical pressure every day. The music Therapy Experimental Center of Wuhan Conservatory of Music and Central Academy of Music set up a music therapy radio to provide music therapy online for patients and medical staff to relieve pressure. The primary means of healing are musical appreciation and interaction, so I contacted Ms Zhang, a PhD student in music psychology from Goldsmith, to host this workshop with me. The form is still online.
step 1: Meditation, the sound of nature, the sound of rain,
Find a quiet space, sit down, let go of everything, and take in the air around you, the temperature. Then gently close your eyes, adjust to a comfortable position, sit or lie down, put your body in a relaxed state, with soothing music, and start taking deep breaths.
step 2: Lead the musical imagination.
With the first stage of meditation, then follow the music and the language of the experts into the imagination, imagine the mountains and the sea, let yourself in. Let the mood really relax…
step 3 : Song discussions and musical memories.
Back to Yuanyuan’s feedback in the last workshop, we first discussed the song “An arbitrary door” by the Chinese Taiwan band Mayday.
Take some of the lyrics,
“Nameless highland to the bird’s Nest ten years, all the way covered with sweat and tears”“Ordinary we will return to the ordinary world, Life is full of cries of children, daily necessities.”
This song is their memories of the group from unknown, poor life, no opportunity to perform, but still adhere to the music dream, to the present burst of fame, concert ticket sales 20 years of experience. The members of the group gave up their original career for the dream and helped each other along the way. together through 20 years, from the age of 20 to now married and some of them have children, everyone will eventually return to the ordinary.
First of all, this group is very popular in China. Their songs are all about their own experiences and youth. Many of our peers grew up listening to their songs after following them for more than ten years, and now many of them have reached the turning point in their lives, so they will have a lot of feelings when they hear it. So we shared our experience of going from confused to orientated.
Other participants then Shared songs and experiences.
About feedback:
Flavia: This workshop is related to music, and it is also one of the popular ways to reduce stress in our daily life. Firstly, it is very enjoyable and interesting to discuss the stories behind the songs. Usually, listening to the songs is just listening to the tunes, and we seldom pay attention to the stories behind the songs or the meaning of the lyrics.
Yuanyuan: This is my favorite way to reduce stress. I am happy to share it with you and discuss it with you. I hope this way can help others. In addition to this kind of encouragement, it can give us some courage when we are in trouble. Of course, there are others, such as listening to vent, listening to confusion, etc, hahaha….we can share it with each other next time.
Zhou: I am an athlete. The way to relieve stress is more exercise and sweating. The first time I encounter this kind of pressure reduction method, I feel very new. I usually listen to music and don’t think too much about it. It just relieves the boring effect during exercise. Discuss music like this it’s a little bit boring… I still prefer physical fatigue to relieve stress. After exercise, I fall asleep and forget all my worries.
Expert Ms.Zhang: The workshop is my first time to participate in this time, was a in familiar stage, the beginning of the intervention is also slowly from people familiar with the types of music (like Mayday), it will let you keep a enthusiasm of participation, and discuss the song is the story of others to share their experiences, but this experience by mass communication in the form of music, and complained of experience is a more successful people, successful people have confused stage, there will be pressure. This way is also to guide everyone to release their own internal pressure, in order to relieve the pressure.
Conclusion: First of all, this is the theme of the music heal, with music on, some participants concentration may be not enough, also because of the way they have a way to relieve stress, it is not music, music can give them more pressure, so the workshop feedback can give me more thinking, such as the participants are appropriate to the topic, the purpose of the trend of the workshop is in line with the intervention and so on. However, it also gives some participants who have no experience of music discussion and music recollection some new ways of thinking and relieving stress, which enables them to think about the story behind music in a new way, and also provides them with another possibility to relieve stress.
11.8 I held second workshop, the participants this time are also creative people, four of whom come from different creative fields, such as product design, we media blogger, illustrator and art teacher.
The theme I developed for this intervention was “My way of relieve stress is…“,
The reason of voice call, I organised some discussions and shares of participants:
CC: I will do something with obvious effect, such as drawing, (drawing without any purpose), or learning something new, like I recently learned a new software, C4D. Just for the purpose of not wasting time thinking about things that make me have pressure. It may also be that I am competitive, which leads to constant anxiety. You will discover many new skills after a while.
Wanni: My main way to relieve stress is to stop, rest and empty myself. If I find things to do for myself like CC, I may feel more pressure. I think sometimes waste is also a way of adjustment.
Yuanyuan: Listen to music and read books. I probably run away from stress more and pretend it’s not there. Idols can sometimes become my own spiritual motivation. One of my favorite singers often writes some inspiring experiences in his songs, which will also affect me.
Liuyang: The main ways to relieve stress are watching a movie, sleeping, and eating, but the mood doesn’t relax after these things.
Conclusion: The most helpful thing is to communicate with friends and encourage them. Setting a small goal for yourself, or seeing results, and learning to talk to yourself are really effective ways to relieve stress. About CC, in my opinion, it is a very effective way to force yourself to do something when you are under pressure. It may seem meaningless when you do it, but not finishing a work is also a kind of affirmation to yourself. Maybe everyone will think it is a good way, which is also a manifestation of CC’s competitive personality. But it doesn’t apply to everyone. Just like Wanni’s idea, if she does this, she will feel more pressure. She chooses to empty herself and suspend everything, which may be an escape from the pressure. Yuanyuan’s approach will feel somewhat similar to music therapy; through musical appreciation, exploring the story behind music; and singing can also be a way to release inner pressure.
1), 10,26 feedback: narrow down the target group, details about the Wechat applet.
TT
Through research, stress is the part of modern life, in China, according to “ the 2016 survey report on workplace stress”, the pressure is widely ignored, and lack of stress management consciousness, don’t know how to right in the face of the pressure relief, especially the creative people. According to “ visual China’s Chinese creative industry population survey report” mentioned, China’s creative industry population is mainly young people, and the source of pressure is mainly the overall low income, high cost of living.
The creative industry population uses the network platform more frequently than the overall population. At the same time, they are busy with their work and have no time for offline help. According to the interview and questionnaire “The most desirable way to reduce stress”, online is the most convenient way for them, so I hope to use the network space to help and improve the pressure of the creative people.
2) Through surveys and questionnaires, “ visual China’s Chinese creative industry population survey report”, the most commonly used stress reliever by creatives is chatting, which is also a way for them to get more inspiration. Therefore, I made a weekly online workshop intervention plan.
first online workshop (via Wechat)
10,31 I did first online workshop, we did a simple intervention, and these are some of my friends in the creative field, and we Shared some recent stressful events, and we had a very light conversation about what we were doing. The feedback this time was that everyone felt more relaxed and happy.
Because people are busy with their work and are always in a high-pressure environment, they have little time to chat with others and share their experiences. This intervention also provides a space for them to release themselves, encourage each other and learn different ways of decompression.
2, Linni: some people may feel more stressed about colour, so just painting is limited,
3, Cici: different people have different way to relieve the stress,
4, Diana: private creative website,
Some further thinking from the feedback
According to the peer’s feedback and the example on the session, I rethinking about my question, the location of my target is in China, and the method is a “creative supportive network” with private, and different people have different preferences.
For example, most of the people I interviewed before are from the art field, so they deal with stress by drawing, some of them can sing, or go to the gym and make themselves sweat a lot, and so on.
Drinking, getting drunk, smoking, etc, may not be healthy,
So I redefining my question, “How can private creative websites help and improve the stress of different groups of people?”
The direction of research and intervention is….Different blood types, different fields, different likes, fears, different financial support…
Or transform stress into new productivity, or transform ways to relieve stress into new productivity??
“How can help young creatives find a way to relieve stress?”
2, do not make promises,
3, What you are trying to change. The pressure, dissatisfaction, unhappiness.
find inner peace, and find some confidence and courage in the face of difficulties or a boring, demanding life. Find self-direction,
4, think about what is manageable in terms of a solution.
I cannot change your personal circumstance. The kind of work your boss wants you to do but I can offer ideas to help you cope with , deal with manage negative feelings or to make you feel more empowered.
Art can help improve individual healing and psychological harmony, and stimulate spontaneity, creativity, and social adaptation.
5, the gaps /problems /issues surrounding your projects.
First, the public wants change this situation, the project is acceptable, but the participation is low, I have interview some people, all of them have stress and want to relieve stress, but when I ask them to draw a painting (one of the intervention), almost 70% refused, who think it’s not convenience or they are busy.
Second, how to guide the stakeholders find their path.
6, this week intervention
Create a “ROOM” on DouBan (a communication \ share platform), very private, users\followers can share their thinking, experience, relieve stress way, or some painting (art therapy, mandala), they can communicate or help each other, this is an active one. Or, one week\ month, set a goal, for example, draw a mandala, listen a music, run 1 hour,….encourage people to achieve it,
RESEARCH how to relieve:
1, stress APP, can help manage the stress, combine meditation, painting and music.
2, art therapy, mandala,
3, alcohol, just get drunk….
4, An intervention about art therapy relieve stress,
“BFI (Brief Fatigue Inventory ) scores were higher in the participant group (p=0.06). In the intervention group, the median HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) score for depression was 9 at the beginning and 7 after the fourth appointment (p=0.021). The median BFI score changed from 5.7 to 4.1 (p=0.24). The anxiety score was in the normal range from the beginning.”
How does art therapy help patients? Ways and means?
A:
Art therapy is mainly used as an auxiliary means of therapy to channel, release and vent emotions. The physician or researcher can judge and observe the mental process by the behavior/reaction of the patient or the subject. In the face of psychological barriers, various art forms can be used as a distraction tool to help people out of the closed state.
Music therapy can be divided into two groups, namely, experience and participation. In North America, music therapy focuses more on experiencing music, which can help ease emotions and lift spirits. European music therapy is more inclined to invite patients to participate in music activities and improve patients’ conditions by actively participating in music creation and appreciation activities.
In the case of music therapy, the most intuitive approach is music appreciation, such as relaxing by listening to soothing music or uplifting music to lift the spirits. Many of the techniques and activities of musical training have been applied to specific groups such as children with autism and alzheimer’s disease, to help them with memory training, habit development, and so on.
Q:
Do people who have a background in art therapy, or who have been through multiple treatments, more or less automate some of the solutions, affect the results of the analysis? How to avoid it?
A:
Those with psychological background, especially those with psychological counseling or clinical treatment, are very familiar with psychological knowledge and testing, so they will have certain defensive psychology and hide some psychological problems. But in fact, ordinary people have a certain defensive psychology for these psychological counseling or therapeutic interventions. Generally, doctors are required to help patients relax at the beginning, establish a good doctor-patient relationship, and trust each other to achieve better therapeutic effect. After many times of treatment and consultation, people have generally established a relationship of trust with their doctors. Generally speaking, they will try their best to cooperate with their doctors’ activities, and will be more active in expressing, seeking help, and trying to solve problems.
Q:
How popular do you think it is in China? (More or less) why?
A:
Most Of the Chinese people still have insufficient understanding of psychological counseling and mental illness. They always think that mental illness (derogatory term) is the reason why they go back to the brain hospital, or they always think that they do not have mental illness. In fact, in a high-pressure and fast-developing social environment, people will more or less have some psychological problems, and serious psychological disorders will seriously affect their work and life, including the mood and life state of their family or friends. Some people are good at self-regulation and find ways to relax that suit them. But there are some people, can not do a good self-improvement, so regular psychological counseling is very necessary. Young people in the new era are more accepting, but they have not formed the consciousness of actively seeking help. They still need to strengthen publicity and knowledge related to popular science psychology.
Q:
What needs to be improved? Can it be done online?
A:
There are many ways of art therapy and it is very effective as an auxiliary means of psychological therapy. However, if the patients have serious psychological problems, such as moderate or high depression, they need to seek medical treatment in time, especially if they need drug therapy to really achieve therapeutic effect and control the disease.
During THE period of COVID-19, the online music therapy team of the Central Conservatory of Music provided psychological counseling services for medical and public friends in Wuhan. Mainly through music appreciation, interaction and other activities, to help people improve their mood.
