How Collage Helps Calm the Mind and Boost Focus
In a world full of screens, endless notifications, and constant noise, slowing down to make something with your hands can feel like swimming against the current. For students, teams, and community groups, collage offers a rare pause — a chance to quiet the mental chatter and reconnect.
Stress, overthinking, and constant demands affect focus, wellbeing, and creativity. That’s why hands-on crafts like collage and bookmaking are so powerful. Research shows that crafting can lower cortisol, the hormone that drives stress, helping participants relax and reset (Key, 2024).
Why collage?
Hanson writes in his 2020 book Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness:
"Much of our stress is driven by internal verbal processes. These worry about the future, rehash the past, and mutter about the present. In most people, the neural bias for language is on the left side of the brain while the right side handles imagery and other forms of holistic processing. (This is reversed for many left-handed people.) The two sides inhibit each other, so if one becomes more active, that quiets the other. Consequently, focusing on imagery will reduce verbal activity — and help you RELAX."
Collage taps into this process. By engaging the right side of the brain, it helps participants quiet the verbal left side that fuels worry and overload. When students, teams, or community members cut, tear, and arrange paper, they aren’t just creating art — they’re giving their minds a much-needed break.
The magic of hands-on making
Working with physical materials is grounding. Hands remember what heads forget. And across different settings, the impact is clear:
Students sharpen focus, reduce stress, and unlock creative thinking.
Teams find fresh perspectives, strengthen collaboration, and build resilience.
Communities gain a space for connection, self-expression, and calm.
Collage provides a shared, restorative experience that encourages presence, reflection, and mindful engagement.
Why It Matters
Research from ArtsWell shows that just 20 minutes of hands-on creativity can dial down stress hormones and lift mood. Over time, these creative pauses don’t just calm the mind — they build focus, resilience, and stronger connections.
Whether in a classroom, an office, or a community setting, collage offers more than an artistic outlet. It’s a practical, research-backed way to support wellbeing and bring people together.
✨ Bring a Collé workshop to your school, team, or community and experience the peaceful power of making by hand.
👉 Email us at hello@colle.uk to book a workshop tailored to your school, organisation, or community.
