Coloring relieves stress?! We wouldn’t call this a rhetorical question rather a question and a statement that actually does require some stupefaction. At first this might seem like something for kids. But once you start living the stressful life, your career, its timing, the hectic routine, keeping up with your daily rituals and chores as well as coping with your day-to-day tasks, you will realize how remarkably coloring relieves stress. And here is why.
Colors Make You Mentally Calmer
So it is believed that coloring actually reduces stress because the different colors make you happier, mentally clearer and much relaxed. Since it is believed that arts and crats make people happier, coloring does so, too.
Dr. Bea told Cleveland Clinic
“Adult coloring requires modest attention focused outside of self-awareness. It is a simple activity that takes us outside ourselves. In the same way, cutting the lawn, knitting, or taking a Sunday drive can all be relaxing.”
- Coloring Gives You A Feeling Of Having Something Done
Not just having something done in any random pattern but the colors that you choose are actually based on your mood and when you are done with your ‘masterpiece’, the outcome makes you pleased and jubilant. This feeling comes from having anything done that you have given your time in.
- It is similar to meditation
It may seem a little off, but coloring actually is somewhat equal to meditation.
There are thousands of adult coloring books in the markets available which is an indication how desperately people are into this. It is equivalent to the practice where an individual focuses the mind on a particular object to achieve a mentally stable point.
- Improves Sleep
If you struggle to sleep at night and scuffle waking up the next morning, try leaving your electronic devices at a distance, start coloring instead. When you use electronics, you don’t use your brain much but enjoy the waste of time.
Exposure to light from your electronic device disrupts your circadian rhythm and subsidizes to insomnia. In the other case, coloring requires a brain and you eventually get tired as well as a feeling of relief starts to hit you and you suddenly feel sleepy and lousy.
- Mandalas help in self-discovery
Mandalas are round, circular concentric shapes with internal different patterns that have a spiritual implication. Muslims mosques, Christian cathedrals as well as Budhhist temples have these incorporated in their architecture.
Since all mandalas have a different and a unique geometric compound pattern, coloring mandalas can induce contentment and amity to your inner self.
- Coloring helps you focus
Another great reason why coloring relieves your stress is that it helps you focus without even putting too much effort into it. We all can relate to blue moments when life shades our happiness. It can be a daunting experience, nevertheless you can make this temporary.
This is the exact reason experts recommend coloring to the people who’ve lost focus. Start coloring and the outcome will make you happy as ever.
- Positivity takes place in your brain
Negative thoughts are always there with you and will always occur if you are in a stressful condition. You seem to lose emphasis and prominence. Coloring relieves your stress by hosting positivity and clear space in your mind.
As revealed in Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association,
“people who cultivate “mindfulness,” or awareness and attentiveness to the present moment, also experience lower levels of anxiety”
- Makes you forget about the future
Colors have this weird yet beautiful effect on them. Coloring can make you overwhelmed in the present taking you out of worrisome thoughts of the future. It’s important to forget about the future once in a blue moon, stop accentuating over the temporary present but simply live in the moment.
The art of living the moment to its fullest is not known to every one of us, yet not hard to master. In order to achieve mindfulness, you should adopt measures that enhance your focus on the present. Coloring actually makes you accomplish all that.
- Coloring awakes the inner child
Though, to some people, this may seem bizarre but this is actually a great way to escape your present stressful condition. You are able to awaken your inner child by coloring which, in particular, means you will become careless for all the negative vibes around you. Thus, you will be relieved of your stress.
It’s good once in a while to invoke the child inside of you since children forget and forgive fast. Another benefit of this is, you can pursue your desires as kids do not take ‘no’ for an answer.
Instead of going to therapy or counselling on impulsive notes over such small problems, try coloring at home first. You might end up saving a lot of your time and bucks!