Studies directly linked images people see with their brain’s reaction to stress, pain, and anxiety. Art therapeutic technique has been used for both young and adult patients dates even in medieval times. These days, healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, dental clinics, pediatric clinics, and addiction rehabilitation centers utilize it to help encourage healing to patients.
For example, a sea mural in the lobby of a hospital, dental clinic, or pediatric clinic can provide calming effects. Furthermore, this can be a positive visual distraction to help young patients overcome their fear of large medical equipment, procedures, and even medical workers. Below are a few tips, suggestions, and checklists on creating a healing healthcare environment for patients of all ages:
1. Choose Positive Images
Avoid pictures or images that can arouse negative feelings, like angry and scary faces. If you plan on putting faces on your design, ensure that they display positive emotions. A good example could be a children’s movie theater theme in your pediatric clinic’s waiting area. In most cases, movies for kids promote prosocial behavior, such as helping each other, comforting, sharing, and encouraging.
A space with positive images can help uplift young and adult patients, families, and even the staff. Plus, when these child patients see familiar characters from their favorite films while waiting for their appointment, they somehow forget about their fears. Go to this page to see a sample of this mural.
2. Include Natural Elements to Your Designs
Children are born scientists that love to experience the sounds, sights, smells, and textures of the outdoors. Like adults, a study finds that kids with more nature nearby recovered better from stressful life events. Consider adding landscapes, rivers, flowers, leaves, oceans, etc., into your designs.
When choosing a company to do your murals, ensure that they have a wide range of experience, including catering to facilities like your size. Make a list of potential companies, then narrow it down. When they say “visit us here” on their social media, click it and have a look at their portfolio. This way, you can have a glimpse of their talent and skills, as well as how they work.
3. Paint Walls with Relaxing Color Tones
Colors have physiological effects, alter blood pressure, and can positively impact brain activities and sleep cycles. However, you must pick suitable colors. Neutral colors, like ivory, beige, taupe, and gray, and cool colors, such as greens, purples, and blues, are generally considered the most relaxing colors to create a calming space.
Kids are attracted to bright primary colors, like blue, so consider incorporating them in your facility if you cater to young patients. On the other hand, physical therapy centers may benefit from vibrant hues on their walls, such as reds, since these colors can help promote energy. But avoid overdoing it.
4. Consider Placing Murals All Over Your Facility
Create murals of any size to put in your entire facility to brighten up the space. For instance, a large, visually appealing mural in the lobby or waiting room can make people feel comfortable when they enter your clinic. On the other side, smaller murals are perfect in the patient rooms to improve the space for recovering patients.
5. Representational Art Designs Benefit Patients More Than Abstract Designs
Representational arts represent events and objects in the real world, which are easy to identify. On the other hand, abstract arts don’t attempt to represent an accurate depiction of visual reality. A 2012 study suggested that patients feel negative emotions when seeing unfamiliar, vague, and unrealistic images with sharp contours.
It doesn’t mean that you can’t include abstract elements in your designs, but representational art benefits patients more in a medical facility. Besides, as a healthcare facility, you want to use art to promote relaxation rather than challenge patients.
Why Choose Custom Art?
Let’s admit it. Nobody wants to live in a lonely medical facility since they are not the most attractive places. Unfortunately, some must stay in hospitals or rehabilitation clinics. Moreover, healthcare facilities improve people’s health by providing treatment and care. That’s why you have to make these places as relaxing as possible.
While you can simply buy and hang paintings on your wall, custom art allows you to create murals with your personal touches, including the size, color, design, materials, etc. In addition to experience, talent, skills, and cost, look for artists who listen to your needs. Make sure to visit their website and click their “about us” page to see who they are.