Sometimes life gets busy and we forget to take time out for ourselves. Sound familiar? Well, we’ve got a solution for you (and it’s a fun one). Mindfulness drawing helps you to focus on the present moment which can reduce stress and increase your well-being. So grab a pencil, immerse yourself in the now and relax – you deserve it. Here are some of our favourite mindfulness drawing ideas.

1. Draw something in your immediate surroundings

This is a simple drawing exercise you can do anywhere! Choose something that you see around you – anything you like. Then take time to really look at the object and its curves, textures, lines and colours. Draw what you see, keeping your focus on the present. How does it look? How does the pencil feel against your skin? Does your subject make you feel a particular emotion?

2. Experiment with blind contour drawing

Image credit: Allison Kunath

This mindfulness drawing idea is great for honing in on your sense of touch and sight. To create a blind contour drawing, find a subject in the space around you and draw its contours without looking at your paper (it helps to keep your pencil on the paper for the whole time). Carefully look at the lines of your subject—whether it’s a plate of food, a bunch of flowers, or a person—and meditate on what you’re seeing and feeling as you go.

3. Focus on one part of your body

A common mindfulness activity is a ‘body-scan’. This involves focusing on different parts of your body, one at a time, and thinking about how they feel. We like to add another dimension to this idea by drawing them. For example, start drawing your hand and fix your attention on how it looks and what sensations you are feeling. It doesn’t have to be perfect because the finished product doesn’t matter – mindfulness drawing is all about the process!

4. Give hand lettering a go

Choose a word or phrase that makes you feel relaxed and start drawing it. You could take any approach you like – whether that’s bubble writing and filling in the letters with patterns, or writing it in a way that reflects what it means to you (like the photo above).

5. Find a good reference photo

Mindfulness drawing doesn’t have to come from your surroundings – you can use a photograph too. As you w, think about how the image makes you feel, how the pencil feels against your hand, even what it sounds like as the lead runs along the paper.

6. Sketch out a landscape

Pack your sketching tools, head outside and get some fresh air. Landscape drawing is a great way to relax and appreciate the world around you. Listen, smell, touch and look at what’s around you – really soak it up.

7. Draw how you’re feeling

How are you feeling today? Pick up your pencil and draw it. You can do this realistically or using shapes and colours that represent how you feel in this moment.

8. Just doodle

Create patterns, shapes, scribbles or whatever comes to mind! It’s that simple.

Whether you have 5 minutes or an hour to spare, take a moment to relax with some mindfulness drawing. You’ll thank yourself for it.