These days, most people rush around. There is no enjoying one’s commute or appreciating moments of just being inside one’s own head. Riding on the subway to work, everyone is staring at their phone or has their headphones in; sometimes I wonder if people are afraid to just reflect on their thoughts. When they are thinking, it is about scheduling, to-do lists, and work. However, there is one product that has been making a huge impact on adults embracing self-reflection in a form of meditative stress relief: coloring books.
Adult coloring books have become a huge market in recent years due to their ability to allow adults to relax and not think too much. Seen as a form of therapeutic art, these books have brought an awareness to the importance of stress relief and an easy means of doing so. The repetitive quality that coloring creates within a person is excellent for calming the nervous system and focusing the mind on the present. By channeling all attention into the action of coloring, a person’s mind quiets and settles on the physicality of coloring. With this meditative quality, one is able to let all worries slip away and enter into a truly relaxed state.
Sometimes not thinking about anything at all is what one needs, but coloring also offers the benefit of being able to tune out all the sources of stress in one’s life and meditate on areas of happiness or contentment. Taking time everyday to internally express gratitude for the good things in life can help a person have a more positive overall outlook on life, as well as boost one’s mood. Getting lost in the negatives is easy to do and it would be beneficial for every person to take a few moments of appreciation in their day. Coloring to hone in on what is important in life can aid in edifying this appreciation to further.
Sometimes not thinking about anything at all is what one needs, but coloring also offers the benefit of being able to tune out all the sources of stress in one’s life and meditate on areas of happiness or contentment.
Coloring also provides a method of checking in with oneself to see how one is feeling, mentally and physically, while in a mode of complete rest. It is common for someone to get so wrapped up in their work that they forget to do things that their body or mind needs, for example, eating lunch. When something of necessity gets forgotten, then one’s body does not function to its highest capability. Lack of function in one area begins to spread to other areas, affecting more than just hunger. A common side effect of hunger is anger and in thinking about food feeding the stomach, coloring is akin to feeding the soul. The soul is the hub of feelings so feeding the soul positive experiences increases the positivity radiates outwards .
Another pro of coloring books is the ability to channel one’s inner child. Growing up often leads to decrease in ability to be imaginative for many adults. Maturing tends to mean becoming serious and pragmatic, which certainly are aspects needed to achieve certain goals, but complete loss of imagination should not be. By coloring in coloring books, the brain is able to regress slightly and a able the person to feel the way they did when they were younger, drawing and coloring in childhood. To be able to revert back to more simple times is something that many people revel in and fell that all their burdens get lifted off their shoulders during the time that they engage in coloring. Furthermore, they come out of this experience with a more free feeling, typically allowing for a more positive outlook on present situations.
Having an outlet to channel stress and concerns into is very important for self care. The surge of coloring books for adults has enabled many people to find this outlet in a relatively easy and inexpensive manner.
