If there’s one thing that the last two years have taught us, it’s that being an adult is stressful. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the time that we rest our heads on our pillows, our schedule is flooded by work calls, errands, cooking, cleaning, and much much more.
These things can become so demanding that our lifestyles just get ahead of us and often we don’t use our down time to properly wind down. One effective method to phase out the hectic day is something you might only associate with kids, but believe it or not, colouring books can be the perfect de-escalation after an intense day.
Here’s how adult colouring books can benefit your health and wellness:
Reduces anxiety and stress
Adult colouring books have the ability to enhance relaxation in the brain, specifically in the fear response centre, known as the amygdala. In doing so, your mind is transitioned into a meditative state as it focuses on colouring rather than the stressful occurrences of your day.
In fact, recent studies have uncovered that mindful colouring sessions reduces anxiety in adults by lowering your heart rate, improving your mood and reducing mental stress.
Improves focus and brain function
When you are colouring you open up the frontal lobe of your brain which controls organization and problem-solving. This allows you to focus on the task at-hand and be present in the moment, helping you to focus. As you add colour to paper, different parts of your brain’s cerebal hemispheres are activated. Your creativity and logic are working together in harmony, improving the functioning of your brain.
Improves motor skills
You might think that scrolling on your smartphone is a means to relax, but this doesn’t have the same effectiveness as colouring-in intricate and artistic designs. The task of colouring subjects you to making use of fine-motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination. Some health professionals have even stated that colouring can be used as a preventative measure against dementia.
Adds more hours to your sleep
It is to be expected that many of us most likely scroll through our social media before we head to bed. We already know that the blue light emitted from out phones can stop our sleep hormone melatonin from being produced which negatively impacts our quality of sleep. Contrasting this, is colouring which enters as a relaxing and soothing bedtime ritual that can leave you feeling refreshed the next day.
When we colour-in art as adults, we are reminded of our inner child. This is when we remember our lives to be a lot more fun with our biggest worry likely being which cartoon we should watch on a Sunday morning. In addition, “concentrating on colouring an image may facilitate the replacement of negative thoughts and images with pleasant ones,” Dr. Joel Pearson, a scientist at the University of New South Wales in Australia said to Medical Daily.
It seems many of us have been sleeping on adult colouring - that’s if we get much sleep at all. But the benefits definitely add up, so it could be time for you to borrow your kids’ crayons and do some adult colouring to improve your overall well-being. After all, colouring is not just for children anymore.
Looking for a local colouring book that will also enhance the relationship you have with your inner self? Check out this diverse, affirmation-based adult colouring book by Selfcare Coach and entrepreneur, Dhanusha Dhoorgalu here.
Words by Dhanusha Dhoorgalu
