Today, I will be sharing the benefits of adult coloring with you. I bet you didn’t know that coloring has therapeutic potential to create focus, increase mindfulness, and lower anxiety levels. Psychiatrists have been prescribing coloring to patients since way back in the 1900s. These days the intricate detail you can find in adult colouring in books is quite astounding.
The founder of analytical psychology, Carl Jung, has been prescribing coloring to patients to help them with centering and calming their minds. Doctors today still follow his lead by recommending adult coloring for combatting anxiety. This stress-free activity relaxes the fear center of your brain (amygdala) and permits your mind to get much needed rest. But, there are other health advantages linked to adult coloring as well. Keep reading to find out more.
5 Benefits of Adult Coloring
1. Reducing Stress and Anxiety Levels
Coloring permits the fear center of the brain to relax, which in turn relaxes you. Giving the amygdala intermittent rests, can actually lower stress in your body overall. Coloring is a stress-free, meditative activity that you can practice regularly to bring down your stress levels. The de-stressing effect that coloring provides can impact your health greatly.
2. Training Your Brain to Focus Better
When you color in, you concentrate on staying within the lines, but not in a way that stresses you out. The activity opens the frontal lobe of your brain (where problem solving and organising happens) and helps your mind to focus and forget about everyday stresses. A critical skill for surviving in today’s demanding world is being capable of living in the moment. With adult coloring you put everything else aside, while you’re doing it.
Adult coloring is an excellent form of relaxation. It takes your mind away from your ever-growing to do list for a short time. It allows you to escape the pressures and stresses of everyday life and delve deep into the world of colors and get lost in the details of the creation you’re busy making.
3. Beneficial for Mental and Emotional Health Problems
Adult coloring books can assist with various mental and emotional health problems. For many, a lack of structure, boredom, and stress are the predominant triggers. This is true for people with obsessive-compulsive disorders, stress disorders, eating and binge disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, abusive issues, and anger management problems.
The energy, focus, and time spent when coloring, shifts the focus away from the negative habits and issues and refocuses it in a productive and safe manner.
4. Replacing Negative Thought Processes With Positive Ones
Adult coloring is another excellent way of practicing mindfulness due to its health and therapeutic advantages. It can assist you with replacing negative thought processes with pleasant and positive ones. Doing something therapeutic like coloring can assist with lowering feelings of unpleasantness and anxiety linked with interminable medical treatments.
The emphasis we place on the art project before us, and on the object itself can prevent negative thoughts from infiltrating our minds. The phase of acting and doing as opposed to observing, is a potent deterrent to dwelling on emotional or physical pain. Creating something beautiful makes us happy and gives us a sense of achievement or accomplishment by being productive with our hands and having something to show for it afterwards
5. An Excellent Opportunity for Social Interaction
Since coloring books have become incredibly popular as a hobby for adults, what used to be a solo activity has become a social one. Coloring parties are at the order of the day where like-minded individuals gather, sip on wine and socialize while coloring. The combination of a stress-releasing activity with socializing and laughter is at the heart of good health.
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the benefits of adult coloring and that I’ve sparked an interest in you to give this relaxing and enjoyable hobby a try.
This is a fun activity to do with your friends, children, nieces or nephews, and a great way to spend some good quality time away from a device that requires your attention online.
Have you done adult coloring before, and has it changed your life in any way? Feel free to share your experiences with me.
Sending you lots of creative vibes, light, and colorful thoughts.
Anthea