The Benefits of Adult Coloring

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Do you remember the joy of a new coloring book and creating new color combinations with your pencils and crayons as a child? Those same benefits and excitement can be achieved as an adult when added as a creative element to your daily self-care routine.

It’s not just for fun, there are multiple mental health benefits to coloring from channeling your inner artist, to de-stressing and achieving a sense of peace.

The way we see and perceive color each day greatly impacts our lives, though it does so on a mostly subconscious level. Seeing certain colors can evoke emotion in us due to connections with real-life experience as well as how we feel a color is interpreted.

While some colors are bright or dark by nature, others are muted or paler in comparison, allowing for drastically different interpretations. Adult coloring books are great ways to integrate soothing colors while calming the mind and reducing the amount of anxiety you feel at any given time.

Thankfully, coloring books are affordable on most budgets so you have plenty of opportunity to get creative in your downtime.

Benefits of Coloring for Adults and Self-Care

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Coloring is an activity that requires attention to detail. While you are focused on coloring, your level of anxiety and stress decreases because you are no longer thinking about all of the things that have been stressing you out all day.

Coloring can lift your mood. When you are sad or anxious, choose coloring pages that have a positive, happy theme and concentrate on positive thoughts.

Peaceful and calming colors include pinks, blues and greens, in all shades ranging from pale to deeper muted versions. Think about being outside in nature, you will see mostly shades of pink (sunrise and sunset), blue (sky and water) and green (trees and plants) which often symbolize serenity and a sense of calmness.

Stimulates Creativity

Adulting is hard, sometimes you need to kick back and have fun! There are no rules when it comes to coloring, and NO you do not have to stay inside the lines if you do not want to. Putting pencil to paper is a great way to leave technology behind and let your imagination run wild. It may even bring back some happy childhood memories.

You do not have to produce art that will be shown in a gallery, this is for you to enjoy and let loose.

Exercises your Brain and Improves Motor Skills

Coloring can improve your brain’s ability to function and help us solve our problems faster by exercising both sides of our brain. The human brain’s left side is the “rational” side responsible for fine motor skills and problem-solving. The brain’s right side oversees the artistic choice of colors and provides aesthetic balance.

Choosing more complex designs with smaller spaces for coloring requires you to hone your hand-eye coordination and motor skills. These skills are used less and less in today’s society as we spend more time scrolling on our electronic devices. Coloring, crossword puzzles and brainteasers are the best way to keep your brain sharp and focused for long-term health.

Helps you Sleep

Try coloring for an hour before you go to bed, it slows the mind down taking the brain from highly stimulated to almost meditative. Coloring helps tames your mind by not allowing it to overthink. A quiet mind allows you to get a good nights sleep so you wake up fresh and rested.

According to the Sleep Foundation, the human body produces Melatonin while we are sleeping. It is a hormone created by the pineal gland that facilitates falling asleep and enables a sounder sleep. Melatonin secretion decreases over the years and begins to decline in a person’s forties.

Exposure to blue light from your electronic devices can hinder your sleep quality by stopping your body’s natural melatonin release and interfere with the circadian rhythm that guides your sleep cycle. By reducing your screen time and coloring before bed instead, you’re allowing your melatonin level to release naturally as your body prepares for sleep. 

Strengthens Self-Awareness

When life gets stressful, coloring can be a great way to get in touch with your inner child and reconnect with yourself. Coloring takes your attention away from yourself and allows you to to be in the present. It also helps you sort through your thoughts without being distracted.

When coloring is done mindfully for self-care, it can be a positive hobby to enhance mental health and well-being. By being self-aware, you can address any issues that are affecting your life and find ways to work on them.

Final Thoughts

Coloring is a great way to relieve stress after a difficult workday. You only need a quiet space, an assortment of coloring pages, and coloring pencils, markers, or crayons. You can create your own oasis of peace by turning on some soothing music, making yourself a cup of tea, lighting a candle, and shutting off your phone. Set aside at least half an hour a day for coloring, and you will soon begin to notice all its advantages.

Where Can You Find Coloring Pages for Adults?

You can find coloring pages and books for adults at local or online stores. In addition, it is possible to download and print individual coloring pages at home (like the one above) in a wide assortment of different themes.

You can see more of my favorite tools and gadgets here in my Amazon Affiliate Page. I earn a small commission when you purchase through my links, at no cost to you, so I can continue to bring you more helpful articles!

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