FFColoring has many cognitive benefits for children, but this relaxing hobby also has many emotional benefits for adults. It is a mindful activity that helps adults achieve a state of meditation while expressing themselves creatively and productively. But what about mindful coloring makes it such a healthy practice?
Why is mindful coloring healthy? As a type of active meditation, engaging in mindful coloring is a healthy and productive way to manage and reduce stress. If left untreated, the side effects of stress can have adverse effects on our long-term health and contribute to chronic illness. Additionally, mindful coloring can reduce anxiety, improve fine motor skills and cognitive functioning, and even improve sleep quality.
What are the Health Benefits of Mindfulness?
HelpGuide.org, a non-profit dedicated to providing “empowering, evidence-based information,” defines mindfulness as “the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment.” They note that practicing mindfulness has positive emotional and physical effects. It has the potential to improve both your health and well-being.
As a form of meditation, the practice of mindfulness has roots in Buddhism, but you needn’t subscribe to any particular faith to reap its benefits. Mindfulness reduces stress levels by helping you focus on what is in front of you. It cultivates an appreciation for the present moment by helping us be more aware of what is immediately in front of us. Focusing on coloring an elaborate illustration helps us notice and appreciate the little things we often overlook or take for granted during our hurried lives.
According to HelpGuide.org, mindfulness can potentially “help relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties.” They explain that some scholars believe that it may work by helping people accept their experiences – including negative emotions – rather than turning to unhealthy distraction and avoidance methods.
Coloring while practicing mindfulness is a way to give yourself some distance while sitting with uncomfortable thoughts or feelings. Working on an illustration can help the colorist process and productively express these emotions. Some people also struggle with meditation and find it challenging to sit still for long periods. Working on an adult coloring book is a great way to channel kinetic energy while still achieving many of the benefits of meditation.
A study conducted at the University of the West of England found that “coloring might reduce not only anxiety but also improve mindful attention and creative cognition.” Two student volunteers were given one of two 20-minute activities – reading or coloring a mandala. Researchers found that coloring decreased anxiety and improved mindfulness compared to reading. The experiment was conducted using mandalas because previous research has shown these geometric patterns to be most effective at inducing mindfulness. Yet, you should feel free to use any coloring pages that speak to you and make you excited to color.
Why Too Much Stress Can Be Harmful
Mindful coloring reduces stress, which in itself can have harmful physical manifestations. WebMD defines stress as “the body’s reaction to harmful situations – whether they’re real or perceived.” The causes of stress differ for everyone, and some stress can even be beneficial. Stress can help keep us on track to complete tasks, accomplish goals, and help keep us out of harm’s way.
According to WebMD, “our bodies are designed to handle small doses of stress. But, we are not equipped to handle long-term, chronic stress without ill consequences.” Some of the physical symptoms of excessive stress include fatigue or a lack of energy, headaches, upset stomach, chest pain, insomnia, and a weakened immune system, resulting in more frequent colds and illnesses. Long-term stress can also contribute to chronic illnesses.
Some of the mental or emotional effects of stress include constant worrying, inability to focus, forgetfulness and disorganization, and feeling overly negative or pessimistic. It can also result in a change in appetite, an exhibition of nervous behaviors such as nail-biting or pacing, and increased use of substances including alcohol or cigarettes as a coping mechanism.
While stress is unavoidable, we can choose how we manage and respond to it. Practicing mindful activities, such as coloring, provides a healthful and productive way to lower our stress levels.
How Coloring Helps Alleviate Stress
Coloring relaxes the amygdala, which is the part of your brain that produces fear and stress and relegates your body’s natural flight or fight response. If you feel anxious and experiencing racing thoughts, coloring is an excellent way to focus your energy on something outside of yourself.
Coloring affords the artist a sense of control. No matter how chaotic the outside world may feel, you are in charge of your artistic creation. You choose the coloring book or page, the colors themselves, and even whether you want to stay inside the lines. You can keep it simple with a classic eight-pack of crayons or markers or use a more extensive palette with many tints and shades. You can be as realistic or artistic as you want; no one is grading or judging you, and you make the rules. Adult coloring is about enjoying the process as much as it is your finished picture.
Adult Coloring Helps Improve Fine Motor Skills
Coloring is a great way to teach children fine motor skills, but these abilities should be sharpened regularly as we age. It helps adults refine their fine motor skills by engaging both sides of the brain in a shared pursuit. The side responsible for logic helps you stay inside the lines (which can be challenging, given the intricately detailed nature of adult coloring books!). In contrast, your creative side has fun choosing colors.
Working on an adult coloring page also helps improve focus by opening up your brain’s frontal lobe. It allows you to stretch your problem-solving muscles in a controlled, low-stakes environment.
Coloring before bed can also help control the quality of your sleep. It is a fun and relaxing way to detach from your devices before bed, as the harmful blue light emitted from digital screens can disrupt your body’s natural production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Focusing on something other than your phone or tablet helps calm your body down, while the absence of blue light lets it know that it’s time to prepare for sleep.
Not sure how to color mindfully? Check out our article on What is Mindfully Coloring?
Adult Coloring Books vs. Free Drawing
One significant benefit of adult coloring is that anyone of any skill set can enjoy it. Whether or not the colorist thinks they are a good drawer, they can still express themselves creatively. Coloring in an adult coloring book takes away some of the pressure by providing sophisticated and expressive illustrations just waiting to be brought to life through color.
Research shows that having too many choices can be overwhelming for some folks, and with free drawing, there are limitless possibilities as to what you can draw. Known as decision paralysis, Psychology Today describes this phenomenon as “if an abundance of options surrounds you, you typically end up less satisfied with your final decision than if you’d been given fewer options in the first place.”
If you don’t consider yourself a skilled artist, free drawing can be more intimidating and harder to enjoy. Part of what makes mindful coloring so meditative is that it doesn’t require much thought beyond selecting your medium and colors. Once you have your palette in front of you, it is easy to tune out the day’s problems while occasionally switching markers or colored pencils.
If you like to draw your pictures, that’s great! But not everyone does, and adult coloring books provide a constructive, creative outlet for those in the latter group.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I practice mindfulness while coloring?
When coloring mindfully, be sure to take your time and be aware of how you are feeling. Try checking in with each of your senses, but pay particular attention to the actions associated with coloring. How does your utensil feel in your hand – are you gripping it too tightly? How do the colors look on the page, and how do they make you feel? Does the illustration which you selected give you any clues about your mood?
You may also want to put on soft music or even have a favorite beverage nearby. Create a relaxing space for yourself to spend at least a few uninterrupted minutes working on a piece. And be sure to note how you feel when you are done – do you feel less tense yet?
How often should I color to gain the benefits of mindfulness?
Researchers in New Zealand found that as little as ten minutes of coloring a day was enough to “improve some negative psychological outcomes” and reduce self-reported feelings of anxiety and depression. They found that coloring helped soothe anxious minds, similar to other creative endeavors like cooking or gardening. However, there is no need to feel rushed; you can keep coloring for as long as you like, but you may want to stretch out your dominant hand to avoid cramps.
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