I’ve recently been watching a fantastic artist on YouTube. She does a lot of colouring in colouring books but her final results are amazing. It made me think of a fad a few years ago (that is probably still going on… though because I no longer work at an art supply store I can’t really say anymore) about adult colouring books. Are they relaxing or are they stressful? Is there benefit to doing this regularly? Are there risks?
I decided to look a little into this for this week’s article.
Benefits of adult colouring
There seems to be a few benefits to adult colouring including:
- Reduction in stress.
- Reductions in feelings of state (that is as opposed to trait) anxiety.
- Increase in creativity.
- Opportunity for a mindful activity.
- Good for hand eye coordination and fine motor skills
Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of unknowns in the research here still. How long do the benefits of colouring last? Why does the stress reduction occur? Is it because of the mindfulness or mindlessness (escape from anxiety and stress vs mindfulness which is more an awareness and acceptance strategy)
An interesting metanalysis I found (in other words – looking through research that has been done over the years and pooling the results together in an analysis) on the topic said that whether you free hand draw or colour-in mandalas, they have very similar effects on reducing stress and anxiety (though they kept specifying state anxiety rather than trait anxiety, though the difference between the two wasn’t as clear although the later is linked to personality and the state anxiety is more in the moment. They did mention that research did not have a non drawing/colouring control group to compare against and no information of the duration of this effect. Where the effects caused by a mindlessness effect or a mindfulness effect? They finished the article by stating that more research is needed, but I found at least this much very interesting and that whether you colour or draw you can benefit from some ease of stress and anxiety.
Costs of adult colouring
Of course, there is the cost of materials, though even the cheapest materials can be used to perform this activity: copy paper, free printable on-line and colouring pencils made for kids…. Up to the best quality papers, pencils and sharpeners out there. There can be other costs to this activity that should be taken into consideration before you decide to embark on this journey.
The physical and mental costs of this activity are what I’m refereeing to here (rather than the material costs):
- Risk of repetitive strain injuries: Colouring and art in general requires repetitive motions and in some cases force to be applied. This can be mitigated by learning proper posture, how to hold the pencil correctly and learning techniques that can give better results with less strain. Cramping in the hand can occur if pen or pencil (or even paintbrush) is held too tightly, but again learning techniques and taking breaks to stretch and loosen cramped muscles is a must (If this is hard for you as you lose track of time while working try setting a timer to remind yourself to take a break. Your work will still be there when you get back to it and it will be better for you in the long run.
- Eye strain: Looking close-up for long periods of time can be difficult for the eyes and eye muscles. The trick here again is to take breaks and it is recommended to use the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, you focus your eyes 20 feet (6.1 m) away for at least 20 seconds.
- Increase in stress and anxiety: But I just said it could decrease? Why am I saying here that it can increase? This is because it depends on personality. Perfectionism may make it harder to get the benefits from this activity as you must pick colours (“What if they are wrong?”) and you judge yourself the entire time (“I have no creativity,” “What if the end result is bad?”) Now, this is a harder one to mitigate but not impossible. A shift of perception is needed. For one thing, a colouring book is a safe space. There is no right or wrong way to use it. Do you have to fill up every page? No. Do you have to show it to everybody who passes in your house? Not unless you want to. That is the beauty of colouring pages or even sketch books if you prefer free-hand drawing. There is no obligation to show those to anyone. Hey are a space for you to learn, to relax and have fun exploring different colours. What if it is your anxiety stopping you? I’m not creative what do I know about colour? Or even what if you are colour blind? Well it could surprise you to know that there are colour blind artists out there. We are all born creative. We just tend to lose it as we grow up because it is like a muscle. Creativity needs to be exercised in order to flourish.
I think that the other way to mitigate this last point is to be more process focused rather than result focus. If you learn to enjoy the process then it will be easier to get the benefits associated with this activity. And if you want to colour outside the lines? Even add lines? Let your creativity flow when doing these colouring sessions. It is for self-care and if you can approach it as an exercise in mindfulness, rather than mindlessness (just have some time to kill).
Next week I will give additional resources that I find helpful in colouring and also explain how to colour mindfully rather than mindlessly. Do you like colouring? Is it relaxing or stressful? Please leave a comment below.
Thank you for reading!
“I am a believer that color affects people’s moods.”
– Lilly Pulitzer
Resources (not sponsored, not affiliated)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07421656.2021.2003144
I loved this week’s topic. I love coloring. I find it very relaxing…and all those bright colours help when it’s raining or snowing outside.
olour
J’aime colorier, c’est une activité peu coûteuse!
Pingback: How to use a colouring book mindfully? – An Anxious Creative
I loved even more than you will get done right here. The picture is nice, and your writing is stylish, but you seem to be rushing through it, and I think you should give it again soon. I’ll probably do that again and again if you protect this walk.
I have read some excellent stuff here Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting I wonder how much effort you put to make the sort of excellent informative website
Hi Neat post There is a problem along with your website in internet explorer would test this IE still is the market chief and a good section of other folks will pass over your magnificent writing due to this problem
certainly like your website but you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to inform the reality nevertheless I will definitely come back again
I simply could not go away your web site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard info a person supply on your guests Is going to be back incessantly to investigate crosscheck new posts
I do not even know how I ended up here but I thought this post was great I do not know who you are but certainly youre going to a famous blogger if you are not already Cheers
What i dont understood is in reality how youre now not really a lot more smartlyfavored than you might be now Youre very intelligent You understand therefore significantly in terms of this topic produced me personally believe it from a lot of numerous angles Its like women and men are not interested except it is one thing to accomplish with Woman gaga Your own stuffs outstanding Always care for it up
My brother suggested I might like this website He was totally right This post actually made my day You cannt imagine just how much time I had spent for this information Thanks
Hello i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to Return the favore Im trying to find things to improve my web siteI suppose its ok to use some of your ideas
Simply wish to say your article is as amazing The clearness in your post is just nice and i could assume youre an expert on this subject Well with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep updated with forthcoming post Thanks a million and please carry on the gratifying work
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here The sketch is attractive your authored material stylish nonetheless you command get got an impatience over that you wish be delivering the following unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike
My brother recommended I might like this web site He was totally right This post actually made my day You cannt imagine just how much time I had spent for this information Thanks
Simply desire to say your article is as surprising The clearness in your post is simply excellent and i could assume you are an expert on this subject Fine with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post Thanks a million and please carry on the gratifying work.
I just could not depart your web site prior to suggesting that I really loved the usual info an individual supply in your visitors Is gonna be back regularly to check up on new posts
Eu simplesmente não poderia sair do seu site antes de sugerir que realmente gostei das informações padrão que uma pessoa fornece sobre seus visitantes. Voltarei incessantemente para verificar novas postagens
Your blog is a testament to your dedication to your craft. Your commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of your writing. Thank you for being such a positive influence in the online community.
What i do not understood is in truth how you are not actually a lot more smartlyliked than you may be now You are very intelligent You realize therefore significantly in the case of this topic produced me individually imagine it from numerous numerous angles Its like men and women dont seem to be fascinated until it is one thing to do with Woman gaga Your own stuffs nice All the time care for it up
I loved as much as youll receive carried out right here The sketch is attractive your authored material stylish nonetheless you command get bought an nervousness over that you wish be delivering the following unwell unquestionably come more formerly again as exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike
naturally like your website but you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I will surely come back again.
Thank you for the good writeup It in fact was a amusement account it Look advanced to far added agreeable from you However how could we communicate
I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this web site. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?
As a Newbie, I am continuously browsing online for articles that can be of assistance to me. Thank you
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Just wish to say your article is as surprising The clearness in your post is just cool and i could assume youre an expert on this subject Fine with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
In the midst of sex, I moved his other hand to my mouth so I could suck on his fingers.オナドール And the simple sensation of getting wrecked along with the thought of sucking on his dick spiked my arousal.
Foreplay is anything that turns you and your partner on before sex – whether it’s licking, kissing, touching – whatever gets you going.
I haven?¦t checked in here for some time as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
Some truly interesting information, well written and generally user genial.
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Licking my then-girlfriend’s asshole.オナドール Eventually I had one finger in her butt and two more in her cooch and was giving her clit stimulation
I do agree with all the ideas you have introduced on your post They are very convincing and will definitely work Still the posts are very short for newbies May just you please prolong them a little from subsequent time Thank you for the post
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Fantastic site Lots of helpful information here I am sending it to some friends ans additionally sharing in delicious And of course thanks for your effort
I have recommended this blog to all of my friends and family It’s rare to find such quality content these days!
Thanks for another informative web site. Where else could I get that kind of information written in such an ideal way? I’ve a project that I am just now working on, and I have been on the look out for such info.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Thank you, your article surprised me, there is such an excellent point of view. Thank you for sharing, I learned a lot.
Hi, Neat post. There is an issue along with your website in web explorer, would test thisK IE still is the marketplace leader and a big portion of other people will omit your wonderful writing due to this problem.
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Reading your article helped me a lot and I agree with you. But I still have some doubts, can you clarify for me? I’ll keep an eye out for your answers.
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Pingback: hello world
Pingback: allopurinol 100 mg tablet generic
Pingback: prevacid medication
Pingback: amoxicillin clavulanate potassium
Pingback: zudena 200mg
Pingback: udenafil tablet price
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Pingback: ozempic coupon
Pingback: flagyl medicine price in pakistan
Pingback: minoxidil trans guy
Pingback: ketoconazole for fungal infections
Pingback: toradol short term overview