Let’s face it we all do it, and it happens when we least want it. We get STRESSED! “To some it seems that stress has been a part of everyday life for as long as they can remember and they expect it to remain that way for time to come.” Many things can cause the stress you feel, which is rarely a good feeling. Great news, it can be managed! In previous articles, we discussed different tools you can use to lower your stress levels, but today we are diving deeper into adult coloring books. “Art making may offer a brief respite and can even provide stress reduction.” “Only half an hour of art making was sufficient to cause a significant decrease in stress and anxiety.” They have been around for quite some time and recently they have picked up a lot of ground and similarly mandalas which are dated “back to ancient times, the mandala has been an important meditative entity and has played a role in spiritual traditions. The coloring of mandalas may aide individuals in entering a state that resembles meditation due to its symmetry, repetition and complexity”.
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But does coloring really work? That is a question which has been asked a thousand times over, and the answer seems to always be “it depends”. What does it depend on? Simply put, it’s up to the person asking. In all seriousness, it depends on the desire and motivation regarding the activity. If you were a child who grew up coloring daily, which serendipitously most kids do (except maybe the newer generations which mostly play on iPad and tablets), then you enjoy coloring. As we got older we forget about the great wonders of coloring books and start to forget to use our artistic side of our brain. Fortunately, it is never too late to get back into the habit of coloring.
As we color we feel that sense of meditation which is commonly sought after because after all meditation has many benefits. This isn’t your typical mediation though, this is one through doing and it primarily benefits people like me who can’t sit around for a specified period of time. However, when I do color I am able to work on being present and feel rejuvenated after the fact. It’s time for you to join in and reap the benefits.
Still wondering if you should color? Get some crayons, color pencils, pens or markers and an adult coloring book for yourself and let us know what you think below.
Here are some of our favorites:
Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Animal Designs
Calm the F*ck Down: An Irreverent Adult Coloring Book
Make Life Your Bitch: Motivational Adult coloring book. Turn your stress into success!
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