Nothing beats a good night’s sleep. Sleep is a natural remedy for stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, there is too much to do in too little time nowadays. A lot of people would sacrifice sleep for work or school. This is detrimental. A certain period of sleep is necessary for the body to repair. Sleep deprivation causes health risks, such as higher depression rates and reduced immune system function. Even though I am really busy, it is a must for me to take a 30-minute afternoon nap if I have not slept enough. I wake up feeling refreshed and more productive in whatever I am working on. If I go to bed early on a day, I notice that my mood, health, and quality of life are better the next day. Getting more sleep should always be the priority, even if it may feel that it is not. Your body and health will thank you years from now for choosing sleep over everything else.

Hanging with my cat is so therapeutic. Whenever I take breaks from work, I sit at his level to gently and slowly pet his back and tummy. Sometimes during work, I put him on my lap and pat him. His fur is super soft, and I like to draw random shapes on his skin. He loves it and purrs at me, which is so soothing to my ears. It's literally a relax and cuddle mode so how could it not be!

If your eyes were drawn to the dot, then it proves that humans tend to be drawn by darker yet small things. In the metaphorical sense, the black dot represents the size of our problems, how we hyper-fixate on negativity and fail to recognize it is not everything. It shouldn't consume our lives because there is so much beyond our small problems. We should take frequent breaks away from the problem to see the white parts, the positive parts, and may even bring a new perspective we have not thought about.

I’m 18, but I still love playing with Lego bricks. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always built random stuff with whatever Lego set my dad bought for me. Now with school and everything, I barely have time to spare. When I do, it is always on Lego sets. It brings back nostalgia and good memories, of how the only concern I had was spending all my day finishing putting all the pieces apart. It helps me escape my reality and the extra responsibilities that I have now as an 18-year-old adult.

I love swings. When I am swinging up and down, I could feel the adrenaline rushing through me as the air followed past me. The best part is to swing as high as possible. It takes me to heights I can’t usually reach. It feels like I am flying. I still can't get enough of being on the swings. Being in constant motion like that without much effort makes me carefree of anything else.

Before I was introduced to lifting, I had a serious eating disorder. My body image was brutal and I was miserable all the time. I dropped to a low weight of 33 kgs and was close to death. Lifting helped me view food as fuel, and my body as something that I could change in a healthy way. These days, I appreciate my body for how strong it is. If it wasn't for working out, I'd probably still be restricting and hating myself. I love how I can run and lift and do functional things using my body. Even on the bad days, I'm incredibly glad I started lifting and what has contributed to my life and to my body.

Recently, I have been too stressed. I could feel my brain getting foggy. My migraines are getting worse too. I am missing sleep, and I am struggling to get through the daily tasks. I drew this in hopes of telling myself that I need a break. Our brains are like batteries. If you keep on using it without recharging it, over time, it will overheat and stop working.

I am the type of person who yearns to try new things. Rather than physically doing, I dwell on creating scenarios in my head because I have perfectionism. One of my many regrets is that I have never spoken on a stage to a large crowd. I have these ideas that excite me, but I feel that I will mess up, stutter, and make mistakes when presenting them. Knowing this, my father gifted me this hourglass time capsule to remind me that life is finite. Every time a grain of sand passes to the other side, time is lost. This is more of a message for myself, but it could also be for anyone in the same place as me. Do what you want. Be bold, think of new things, and literally make them into reality. Stop living in your head and start living. Life is short, so create the life you want to look back and feel content.

When agitated, stressed, or angry, I slam my drums to reduce my nerves. Listening to all the cathartic yet rhythmic beats is ironically soothing. I can bob my head from side to side, or tap my toes on the ground in accordance with the beat. When the last beat drops, there is a lasting ringing sound emanating across the room. Then there is silence. I absorb the emptiness of the room and feel the pleasant quietness.

When I was young, I thought I could be Superman. I was in awe of his superpowers, his strength, and his flight. As I grew up, reality proved it was impossible, and I found myself often overthinking rules and the chance of failure in everything I do. My dreams and hopes have dulled, but at times, I do feel that boundaries constrain us and that we stop dreaming, no matter how absurd they sound. We cease to nurture our inner child that thought everything was possible. I wish I could go back in time and be a child again, so I can dream of all the impossible, of being superman again.

I was always insecure about my nose, which tilts towards my right side. Looking at myself in the mirror, I thought about plastic surgery when I was young. But growing up, I realized what I perceive as a major imperfection on my face is not even noticeable to others. I was so brainwashed that I had to change myself to be well-received by others. In doing so, I placed so much pressure on trying to achieve perfection, which is unattainable as human features are all, to different degrees, asymmetrical. Now, I don’t mind my slightly asymmetrical nose. It became my favorite part of my face.

I drew this image in the summer of 2021 when I was having a lot of trouble with my body image and eating in general. I had a lot of trouble getting myself to eat and thought that the only way to lose weight was by starving myself. Although I still have trouble with that today, I’ve learned healthier ways to achieve my goals. The image in the center shows the ideal body shape that women are expected to have according to societal norms and around it are the words that us women are accustomed to hearing. We hear these words no matter what kind of body we have, demonstrating that no matter what our body type is, it will never be perfect enough for society and those around us. I want those who see my painting to know that no matter who they are and what they look like, that they are perfect no matter what. Society doesn’t determine how beautiful you are, only you have the power to control that. It’s what’s on the inside that matters, weight, and numbers don’t define who you are.

There’s something unique about how coffee shops congregate people from various backgrounds. Whether going solo, with family or friends, whether going for a purpose or not, there is something inviting about the atmosphere. The friendly baristas, the indistinct chatter surrounding you, the scent of freshly roasted coffees, the sound of glass clinking together, and the warmth of a favorite cup of coffee is a different yet familiar experiences every time. For a while, coffee shops were my safe places where I avoided issues at home or at heart. The laid-back atmosphere alone was distressing to my mind, but it would always make my day if the baristas stopped by and asked about what brought me here. This additional effort is really warming because it shows that the cafe cares and connects with customers inside, and sometimes, that is exactly what someone needs.

I really appreciate it when strangers give me random compliments. Recently, as I was on my morning walk, a lady stopped me to compliment my shirt. I had an argument with my parents that morning, so that comment was a pleasant surprise and made my day much more bearable. You never know what other people are going through, so sometimes, all is takes is a compliment to make someone’s day.

I think there is something so powerful about the coolness of the pool. The cold slows down my circulation, including my thoughts. I get to focus on the cold and forget about everything worrying me. It is meditative, relaxing, and euphoric. I highly recommend people who don’t swim to start swimming.

I know mental health is something everyone experiences to some degrees and unfortunately for others they feel as they though sucked is the only option. This artwork is for anyone to know that they are strong and heard and they have made it through the bad part. They are warriors and are stringer for it.

When determining what to depict in my work, I considered what has hindered my mental health's progress. The overwhelming nature of schoolwork, as well as its consistency, is a big source of stress in my life. Not just in my life, but for students all across the world, the unattainable academic standard and the pressure to become a great overall student has been a weight and a stressor.

I love nature. I love the smell of the sea, the seagulls chirping, and the bright sun-hitting light rays on me. During covid, I was having really bad panic attacks because of the lockdown. I envisioned myself standing in front of the water, a gentle breeze fluttering my hair. I smelt the salty sea water; I felt the wind sweet and crisp on me; I heard the seagulls cry happily. When I open my eyes again, I felt pacified.