7 Surprisingly Simple Art Therapy Hacks to Reset Now

When burnout creeps in, even the smallest tasks can feel like climbing a mountain. If you’re like me, sometimes traditional self-care advice like meditating or going for a long walk feels like just another item on an overwhelming to-do list.

That is where art therapy for burnout can offer a different kind of reset. Creative activities can help you slow down, focus your attention, and express feelings that may be hard to put into words. And no, you do not need to be an artist.

The goal is not to create something beautiful or impressive. For sure, that’s not me. Instead, it’s to give your mind a break and let your dormant creativity do some of the work.

Before we talk about these simple and effective art-therapy techniques. I need to do a quick disclaimer. These activities are designed for everyday self-care. They’re meant to help you unwind and reset. They are NOT a substitute for working with a trained art therapist or seeking a licensed mental health professional.

Here are seven surprisingly simple activities you can try when you need to step away from the noise, clear your head, and reconnect with yourself in 10 to 20 minutes.

1. Create a Collage to Get the Overwhelm Out of Your Head

When burnout builds, your thoughts can start to feel crowded. Work, family, unfinished tasks, worries, and expectations may all compete for your attention at once.

A collage gives those thoughts somewhere else to go.

Start with old magazines, printed photos, colored paper, words, or images that catch your attention. You can also create a digital collage if that feels easier. Do not overthink your choices. Pick what reflects how you feel right now, even if the images do not seem to belong together.

You might create a collage around a simple question, such as, “What is taking up too much space in my life?” Or divide the page into two sides: what is draining me and what I need more of.

The finished collage does not have to make sense to anyone else. In fact, it does not even have to look good. The value comes from slowing down, noticing what you are drawn to, and seeing your stress differently.

When you are finished, take a minute to look at what you created. What stands out? Is there anything on the page that surprises you? Sometimes seeing your feelings instead of trying to explain them can help you recognize what needs your attention.

2. Draw a Mandala to Quiet Mental Noise

Burnout can make your mind feel like it has too many tabs open. Even when you finally sit down, your thoughts may keep racing.

Drawing or coloring a mandala can give your brain one simple thing to focus on.

A mandala is a circular design made with repeating shapes and patterns. You can draw one from scratch, trace a simple template, or use a coloring page. There is no right way to do it.

Start in the center and work your way outward. Add lines, circles, petals, or shapes that feel natural. If drawing feels like too much effort, choose a preprinted mandala and simply color it.

The repetition is part of the appeal. Instead of thinking about everything you need to do, you are choosing one shape, one line, or one color at a time.

Try setting aside 10 or 15 minutes. Put your phone down, turn off notifications, and let this be the only thing you are doing.

Do not worry about staying inside the lines or choosing the “right” colors. This is not a test of creativity. It is a small way to give an overloaded mind somewhere quiet to land.

You do not have to draw your own mandala to get started. If you prefer having a design ready to color, an adult coloring book can make the process easier. My The Mystic Cat Mandala: Adult Coloring Book combines mandala patterns with cat-inspired designs, offering a simple way to sit down, choose a page, and focus on coloring rather than creating from scratch.

The goal is not to finish the page. It is to give your mind a few quiet minutes to focus on something simple and enjoyable.

3. Try Creative Journaling When Words Feel Stuck

Sometimes, burnout makes it hard to explain how you feel. You know you are tired, irritated, overwhelmed, or disconnected, but putting it into neat sentences feels like work.

Creative journaling gives you more freedom.

Instead of writing full paragraphs, mix words with doodles, colors, symbols, magazine clippings, or even a few messy lines across the page. You might write one sentence, circle a word, draw around it, or fill the page with colors that match your mood.

Start with a simple prompt such as, “What is draining me right now?” or “What do I need more of this week?” Then let the page develop without worrying about grammar, structure, or making sense.

You can also create a two-page spread. On one side, show what feels heavy. On the other side, show what would feel lighter.

If you prefer a little more guidance, my book It’s My Time: A Guided Journal for Deeper Self-Love can help you move beyond the blank page. Guided prompts can make reflection easier when you know you need some quiet time with yourself, but are not sure where to begin.

The point is not to produce a polished journal entry. It is to give your thoughts somewhere to land. Creative journaling can turn a few quiet minutes into a chance to notice what you need, what you may be neglecting, and what deserves a little more of your attention.

If you are not sure what to put on the page, start with a simple self-check-in. Ask yourself a few questions about how you feel, what is weighing on you, what you need, and what has been taking up too much mental space.

You can use the questions as traditional journal prompts or answer them creatively with colors, symbols, doodles, or just a few words. My post on 5 daily self-check-in questions to stay grounded offers more ideas when you need a little help getting started.

The goal is not to analyze every feeling. It is simply to notice what is going on with you before you rush into the next thing.

4. Build a Vision Board Around How You Want to Feel

When burnout takes over, it is easy to focus only on what needs to get done. A vision board can help you shift your attention toward what you want your life to feel like.

This does not have to be a traditional board filled with career goals, dream houses, or big achievements. In fact, that can feel like more pressure when you are already exhausted.

Instead, choose images, words, colors, and phrases that represent how you want to feel. Maybe you want more calm, freedom, creativity, rest, joy, confidence, or connection.

Start with one question: “What do I want more of in my life right now?”

Then look for images that reflect that feeling. You can use magazines, printed photos, quotes, postcards, or create a digital board on your phone or computer.

Keep it simple. A vision board packed with too many goals can become one more source of visual overload. Choose a few images that truly mean something to you, rather than filling every inch of space.

And do not choose pictures just because they look impressive. The images should connect with the life you actually want. A quiet porch, a stack of books, a garden, or dinner with friends may say more about what you need right now than someone else’s version of success.

Keep your board somewhere you will see it, and give yourself permission to change it. Burnout can shift your priorities. What mattered six months ago may not be what you need today.

If you want more help creating a board that actually feels meaningful, take a look at my post on common vision board mistakes and how to fix them.

Let your board be a visual reminder of what you are moving toward—not just what you are trying to escape.

5. Use Shadow Art to Explore What You’ve Been Avoiding

Burnout is not always caused by having too much to do. Sometimes it is also connected to what we keep pushing aside.

Resentment. Anger. People-pleasing. Weak boundaries. Feeling stuck. Being too hard on yourself. These feelings and patterns can quietly add to the emotional weight you are already carrying.

Shadow art gives you a creative way to bring some of those feelings into view.

Start by thinking about something you have been avoiding or having trouble putting into words. Then represent it with colors, shapes, symbols, or images. You might draw a tangled line for confusion, a wall for a boundary you need to strengthen, or a heavy shape for resentment.

Do not worry about making the picture attractive or even understandable. The purpose is simply to notice what comes up while you create.

When you finish, ask yourself a few questions: What feeling stands out most? What might this image be telling me? Is there something I need to acknowledge, change, forgive, or let go?

This is where shadow art can naturally lead to deeper reflection. In my post 75+ Shadow Work Prompts for Beginners: Learn, Heal, and Grow, I share questions that explore relationships, healing and forgiveness, the inner child, self-love, self-care, boundaries, and the ways we sometimes feel stuck. Use one of those prompts as a follow-up if something in your artwork catches your attention.

You do not have to solve everything you uncover. Sometimes simply recognizing what has been sitting beneath the surface is a meaningful first step.

6. Zen Doodle When Your Brain Won’t Slow Down

When your mind is racing, trying to force yourself to relax can make you feel even more frustrated.

Zen doodling gives your brain something simple to focus on.

Start with a blank piece of paper and draw a few lines to divide the page into sections. Then fill each space with repeated patterns such as circles, waves, dots, loops, spirals, or simple geometric shapes.

There is no plan to follow and no picture you need to finish. Just choose a pattern and repeat it.

That repetition can help shift your attention away from the mental noise of unfinished tasks, worries, and constant decision-making. Instead of thinking about everything at once, you are focused on one small mark at a time.

Try it for 10 minutes while sitting somewhere quiet. You can doodle in black and white or add color if that feels relaxing.

And if your mind wanders, that is okay. Just return to the next line, shape, or pattern.

The goal is not to create a beautiful page. It is to give your busy brain a short break from having to solve, plan, remember, and respond.

7. Color Something—No Creativity Required

Some days, burnout leaves you with very little creative energy. You may like the idea of making art, but have no interest in staring at a blank page and deciding what to draw.

That is where coloring can help.

A coloring page gives you a starting point. The design is already in place, so all you have to do is choose a color and get started. There is no planning, no blank-page pressure, and no expectation that you create something from scratch.

You can use an adult coloring book, print a free page, or keep a few favorite designs nearby for stressful days. Mandalas, florals, animals, cozy scenes, and simple everyday images can all give your mind something pleasant to focus on.

My latest coloring book, My Time Sister Girl’s Cozy Favorites: A Coloring Book of Simple Pleasures, was created around that same idea. Sometimes the reset we need is not another goal or another self-improvement project. It is a few quiet minutes spent with the simple things that make life feel good.

Try coloring for 10 or 15 minutes without multitasking. Put your phone aside. Do not worry about matching colors, staying inside every line, or finishing the page.

If you stop halfway through, that is completely fine.

The point is not the finished picture. It is the brief stretch of time when your brain can focus on something simple, familiar, and low-pressure.

Coloring may be one of the easiest art therapy-inspired activities to try when you are burned out because it asks so little of you. And sometimes, a simple pleasure is exactly the kind of reset you need.

Now, It’s Your Turn

Burnout can make everything feel harder than it should. That is why your reset does not need to be complicated.

Choose one of these art therapy-inspired activities and give yourself 10 or 15 quiet minutes. Make a collage. Color a page. Doodle. Journal. Start a vision board. There is no need to do all seven.

Pay attention to how you feel before you begin and when you finish. You may not solve the source of your burnout in one sitting, but you may create enough mental space to breathe, think, and reconnect with yourself.

And remember: this is not about making something beautiful. It is about giving yourself permission to stop performing for a few minutes and simply create.

So, which one will you try first?

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