We grammed about adult coloring books last summer as an installment in our #WellnessWednesday series. We blogged about them in our Christmas Gift Ideas list and had to include our own mandala to color in our latest brochures.
There are a million reasons to color. Here are 10!
- It’s a great stress-relieving activity. (It’s been used in art therapy for a while).
- It helps your concentration and mindfulness practice. (The idea is that the repetitive (mindless) act of coloring creates a locus point around which thoughts can revolve.)
- It inspires creativity. (You choose the colors and the feel!!!)
- It’s a lot easier to do on a plane if you’re too lazy to get your laptop out of the overhead bin. (Or when you’re out of movies to watch.)
- You can challenge yourself while bonding with your kids. (Because who wants to color another dog or horse?)
- You can turn it into unique, handmade gift wrap or an envelope if you’re feeling crafty (and are out of wrapping paper and cards).
- You build muscle in your coloring arm. (I’m pretty sure 30 minutes of coloring counts as “upper body” day at the gym, right?)
- It’s a super cheap hobby. (This may or may not be correlated with Nos. 4 and 5 — having kids and traveling a lot.)
- It forces you to take a break from technology. (We’ve all seen the articles about how smart phones can hurt your eyes, give you neck pain, and disrupt your sleep. So instead of scrolling through your Facebook and Instagram feeds right before bed, try a soothing coloring book!)
- It’s extremely satisfying.
I still can’t color inside the lines (hey, some of the patterns are really intricate, okay? I don’t have surgeon hands here), but I love to take a break from work and color for a few minutes here and there — I always feel happier and calmer afterwards. So pick up a copy and try it out today!