A surprising trend in relaxation products has been the expansion of coloring books for adults. The question is: Is coloring just for fun? Or does it provide us with various benefits for our mental health?
The answer to both questions is YES!
Coloring is not only for children. Numerous studies have proven that this activity reduces stress, drives a low mood away, and encourages creativity. It has a similar effect to meditation, and because of its positive impact, many experts recommend it as a form of therapy.
What Does the Research Have to Say?
Since this activity for adults has recently become popular, profound research is still limited. What is widely known is that coloring therapy has been recommended for years and has been an enormous success.
In 2006, researchers conducted a study and discovered that this type of mindfulness therapy helped women who have cancer – it decreased emotional and physical distress symptoms during their treatment. It has also helped people cope with other conditions (depression, anxiety, addictions, and trauma). Also, studies prove that this therapy benefited those who loved to draw and color when they were children.
The Benefits of Coloring
1. It reduces stress/anxiety – during coloring, the level of anxiety and stress decreases. The activity requires complete focus. Also, colors and patterns are hypnotic, making you feel good and in charge of yourself.
2. It boosts creativity – In this type of therapy, there are no limits. All it takes is to let your imagination run wild. There are no rules. You can paint in / out of lines and use any colors and patterns. And finally, there is no wrong way of coloring.
3. It exercises the human brain – When adults start coloring, they use both sides of their brain. The brain’s left side is the “rational” side responsible for fine motor skills and problem-solving. The human brain’s right side oversees the artistic choice of colors and provides aesthetic balance. Coloring exercises both sides of the human brain.
4. It encourages self-awareness and mindfulness – Maximum concentration is required when using coloring books for adults, which means that you must entirely be focused on this activity and block the rest of the world. You will unknowingly practice being present at a given moment. It will also help you sort your thoughts so that your attention is not distracted, helping you for other spheres in life.
Other benefits:
- You can take coloring with you on any occasion, wherever you go, for which you do not need a lot of space and materials.
- It is for everyone, not just kids or artists.
- It strengthens our focus and concentration.
- It’s a great way to get away from mobiles/laptops/computers.
- It can improve vision and motor skills.
- It can improve sleep.
- It is a form of meditation.
- It can bring back your happy childhood memories.
- It can displace negative thoughts and emotions.
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