If you're looking for a fun, unique way to cut down on stress, get yourself an adult coloring book. Here are seven reasons coloring books can help you relax.
Feeling a little overwhelmed?
The hectic pace of life getting you down?
Then you might feel better if you pick up a crayon and start coloring.
Yes, just like we used to do as kids, letting our minds relax for a while as we do some artwork is the perfect stress reliever. Adult coloring books have been becoming more and more popular as people remember how much they enjoyed this hobby!
If you’re a rational-minded person, though, you might be skeptical about regressing to childhood activities. It’s understandable. You want a little more evidence before you put aside washing dishes to color a picture.
Taking a bit of time to relieve your stress is essential. You know that you can’t pour from an empty cup, so you need to find ways to relax amid the busyness of life.
Adult coloring may very well be the stress reliever you need. You can give these seven reasons to your family to prove you’re allowed to take off to your room and color!
1. It Relaxes Your Mind
Having a hobby that forces you to focus on it creates a tranquil state for your brain. It’s able to reduce the distractions it is typically alert to and give that attention to the job at hand.
When you focus on one specific task, such as coloring, your brain stops worrying about all the other things you have to do.
We're taught the art of coloring early on in life for a good reason. It forces your brain to engage in using its fine motor coordination. Activating these skills is important as adults since inactivity of this area of the brain can cause cognitive decline.
Coloring itself is also slow-paced. If you rush, you could mess up the margins you’re trying to fill and ruin the whole picture.
While you’re thinking about staying in the lines or what color to use next, all your other worries take a backseat.
This transitions into a feeling of calmness and relaxation you would otherwise rarely enjoy.
2. It Can Help You Sleep
Nearly fifty million people in the United States have chronic sleep conditions.
The numbers have risen almost in parallel with the increase in access to electronics. Studies have shown a strong correlation between using your device before bed and restless slumber.
Swapping out electronics for half an hour of coloring at night could very well improve your sleep.
This is in part due to reducing your exposure to the harmful rays from each device. The light from our phones and other electronics messes with the melatonin production in our bodies, which affects our sleep cycle.
But coloring also helps your brain shut down naturally. It begins to cut external stimuli and focus on the activity itself.
By the time you’re ready for bed, your mind is calm and prepared to rest.
3. It Qualifies as “Self-Care”
The world of today reminds us often to take time for ourselves. Self-care is now another “to do” on our task list. When we miss out on our “rest” time, instead of energizing, it’s stressful.
What if self-care isn’t possible because you don’t have the time, money, or desire to do it? Not everyone wants to or is able to head for a mani/pedi or a night out with friends.
But adult coloring fills this spot seamlessly. There’s no guilt involved. Aside from the book and crayons or pencils, there’s no ongoing cost. And you can incorporate it into a regular activity with your family, making it a time for bonding, too.
4. It Calms Your Anxiety
One of the most common mental disorders amongst children and adults is anxiety. This reaction is a normal part of your body’s way of handling stress, but it’s different in everyone.
An uncertain environment, fear of future events, and past history are all factors in one’s level of anxiety. If you have a higher level of stress, adult coloring can be therapeutic.
Because you have to be in the moment, you’re not focused on your concerns.
Worrying about what is going to happen increases your anxiety. Coloring forces you to focus on the present, not the future.
5. It Opens Your Creative Flow
Many people avoid “art” because they think they’re not creative enough. Some forms of art do require the creation of the finished product from start to end, and this can be intimidating.
With coloring, though, that entire process is gone. Someone else (usually a computer) has already printed the picture, and you only need to fill it with colors that you enjoy.
Coloring books have premade images and no set rules, letting you feel free to open your creative flow. You can choose colors and patterns of your liking without fear of judgment.
Being creative is good for your mental health, too. People who have stress or difficult paths ahead of them often use artwork like coloring as outlets to release their emotions.
6. It Puts Focus on Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a buzzword around the world today. Stress is everywhere, and people are looking for ways to keep up their productivity while reducing their tension.
That’s where mindfulness comes in. Being present and grateful are two primary components of this skill. Repetition is another aspect.
Because your brain knows what’s coming next, it’s easier to turn your attention off and relax. Specific coloring books take these aspects of mindfulness and use them in their patterns.
Manufacturers of mindful coloring books infuse repetition with calming pictures. These books purposefully remind us of good things in the world.
7. You Can Choose Your Joy
One of the best parts about adult coloring is that you’re allowed to be a kid again. It’s often the littlest things that make us happy, like kittens or puppies, flowers, or lighthouses.
As adults, we tend to avoid frivolous activities and things we enjoy in favor of responsibilities. But when you color, you can choose images that make you feel good.
Whatever images give you that endorphin boost, you can likely find them in a coloring book.
Conclusion
Your days may be full of responsibilities, but taking a little time out to color makes it all better. Your mood improves, you sleep better, and you’re even engaging essential parts of the brain!
Pick up your crayon or colored pencil and be a kid again for a little while. Adult coloring is precisely the hobby we all need!
About the Author:
Dominique Daniels has five years of Property Management experience working primarily in high-end apartment community living. Her ability to consistently deliver white-glove service to her residents and prospects has propelled her in a successful career that now finds her leading the team at Vida at Daybreak.
