Without a doubt, one of my favorite ways of passing the time during our childhood was drawing and coloring. However, once we make our way into our adult life, we classify coloring as an activity only children enjoy, but that is not the case in reality.
You will be surprised to know that adult coloring books are gaining massive popularity owing to the peaceful, and healing benefits of adding color to intricate patterns and designs.
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Thanks to our super busy lifestyles and the many responsibilities that come with ‘adulthood,’ we forget to connect with our inner child and the happiness that goes with it. However, picking up a colored pencil and adding hues to any pattern will have an immediate soothing effect on your mind and body.
So what makes coloring a healing hobby, and how does it affect your physical and mental state? Let’s find out all about art therapy.
Is Coloring A Form Of Meditation?
Do many people claim that coloring is a type of meditation, but is this really true? You see, when you meditate, your brain starts focusing on the present moment while blocking out any thoughts related to your past or future events. As a result, you enter into a relaxed and calm state that allows your brain to be free from any form of stress.
An article that was published in Medical Daily highlighted the findings of a neuropsychologist, Dr. Stan Rodski. He believes that coloring induces a relaxed state of mind that resembles the way meditation makes you feel. According to him, just like meditation, coloring also helps our brain in tuning out different thoughts and maintain our focus on the current moment.
Coloring Offers An Escape From Technology
Are you always on your smartphone scrolling through different social media apps? Or are you more of a ‘Netflix and chill’ person who loves binge-watching his favorite shows like there is no tomorrow? If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, chances are your mind needs to unplug and get a breather.
The instant realization of how intense the involvement of technology is in our daily lives makes it all the more crucial to adopt hobbies that allow us to unplug. This is precisely where coloring comes in; investing at least half an hour every day to unwind allows your mind to heal in ways you could have never imagined.
Can Only Experienced Artists Color?
The real beauty of coloring lies in the fact there is no required skill level or expertise needed to be an expert. Even if you have never had the pleasure of holding a colored pencil in your life, you can still reap its incredible benefits. All you have to do is pick up your coloring pencil or colored pencils and unleash your inner artist.
Moreover, once you take a peek at your final product, you feel an instant encouragement to keep coloring. Merely completing one full pattern or page offers a sense of accomplishment. This cycle of completion and encouragement increases your positivity, ultimately eliciting feelings of happiness and calm.
Color On The Go.
Let me tell you I LOVE COLORING. I can explain enough what I feel when I have a pencil in my hand and coloring. I calm my mind and bring myself to another level. It does not matter where I am going and for how long you will always find a bunch of paper and a coloring book or even a coloring page in my bag. Enough talking about me.
How do you deal with long waits at the airport or never-ending train rides? What is the best way to kill time and help your mind to relax? I don’t think twice. It is coloring. This is one hobby that you can easily take wherever you are going. Several die-hard colorists take their coloring books along with them whether they are headed to the park or traveling.
Understanding this need, several companies that make adult coloring books are now making ‘color on the go’ coloring sets, or subscription box https://getsketchbox.com/) that come with everything you need to color and have a fun time. These colorful books and pencils come along with easy-to-carry travel cases. This makes traveling and carrying your beloved coloring supplies super easy.
Different Ways Coloring Helps You Heal.
Why do people who love coloring and rave nonstop about the calming and soothing benefits that it offers? Apart from a combo of both healing and entertainment, coloring offers several health benefits waiting to be reaped.
Let’s take a look at how coloring helps your mind to heal in more ways than one:
Connect With Your Inner Child.
It doesn’t really matter if we have entered adult life; we are all children at heart. However, when we color, we tend to connect to our childhood version that did not worry about the world. The simple act of gripping a colored pencil in between our fingers takes us back to a much simpler time.
Coloring is one therapeutic activity that reminds us of a time when we had no responsibilities and life was all about fun and games. To be able to go back into that time offers a healing process like no other. It allows you to escape from your present worries and travel to a time that was stress-free and happiest of all.
Stress Buster
You will be surprised to know that psychologists in the early years used to prescribe ‘coloring’ to their adult patients. Among them, a prominent name is Carl Jung, who was a prominent psychologist back in the day. He would suggest his patients use coloring as an alternative means of meditating and as a tool to calm the mind.
Coloring allows the individual to shift their focus to adding color in the intricate patterns and drift away from their negative thoughts. This is exactly how coloring will enable you to immerse yourself in the current task while unleashing your creative side. If this doesn’t heal your mind, we don’t know what else will.
The Best Remedy For Anxiety
Coloring is known to be extremely effective in helping individuals who are battling anxiety, and some mental issues. This creative activity helps to calm down the part of our brain responsible for controlling our flight or fight responses.
The mere act of choosing, focusing, and adding colors to intricate patterns can help to lower your flight or fight response and give your brain a much-needed breather. This is why coloring is an excellent activity for people who suffer from anxiety and are in search of a productive escape.
It Activates Both Hemispheres Of Your Brain:
The process of coloring involves utilizing both the hemispheres of your brain. When we ponder over color choices, balance, and physically add color, we are making use of our motor skills. As a result, coloring is an effective tool in training all areas of the brain. Owing to this wonderful benefit, many psychologists suggest coloring to their patients during occupational therapy.
An Excellent Method Of Practicing Mindfulness:
Another mind-blowing benefit of coloring is that it allows you to practice mindfulness and reap several health benefits. This creative activity allows you to successfully substitute negative thoughts with positive ones. Moreover, creative artwork allows you to drift your focus from unpleasant situations and direct it to the project at hand.
As a result, coloring gives your mind a much-needed escape from troubling thoughts, while allowing you to fully concentrate on the ‘present.’ what better way to heal the mind than by practicing mindfulness.
An Excellent Way To Keep The Mind Busy:
They say, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, and it certainly holds true for people who suffer from mental and emotional issues. You need to keep yourself occupied with constructive and healthy activities. This applies to those who suffer from, stress disorders, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders. For them, boredom or lack of any mental activity can serve as a trigger.
Coloring is an activity that demands your full attention. Opting to color when they feel bored or have nothing to do can allow them to have a sense of safety and drift their minds away from their condition.
Bid Farewell To Negative Thoughts:
Coloring brings positivity. When you are actively coloring a rainbow or a pond full of fish, your mind is beaming with positivity. The excitement that comes with finishing your task and the joy of putting your creativity to the test pours unlimited positivity into your mind and soul. Not only are you putting your brain to good use, but you are also actively healing it by doing something constructive.
Final Words
If you feel that your mind is tired and needs an ultimate detox, why not give coloring a try? Not only is it a convenient and therapeutic hobby, but it caters to all skill levels. Who says you need to be an expert? All you have to do is choose a coloring book or page, pick up your color pencil, and unleash your inner artist. Once done, you will be surprised at how lighter and healing your mind will feel.
The best part is that coloring is not only a hobby but a type of therapy that does not even cost much, and you can do it yourself. So, what’s better than a hobby that combines therapy and meditation into one and is super enjoyable and inexpensive?
