After the ordeal that was 2020, we could all use some de-stressing and anti-anxiety techniques. 2020 got us all down so now in 2021 it’s time for a morale boost.
There is an easy way to reduce some of those stressors you may be feeling. What if I told you there was a way to not only reduce stress and anxiety, but also to improve brain function, memory, focus (which has similar effects to meditation), and even can boost confidence and remove negative thoughts. You’d probably think, what the heck are you talking about, how come I’ve never heard of this! Well let me tell you right now and you won’t be in the dark any longer!
Coloring Books for Adults
The best way to reduce stress and anxiety, as a crafter, is to Color. It’s so very simple and there are so many different ways to color. Perhaps you need to bring some art into your life and coloring can be your starting point.
The easiest and most transportable way to get art back into your life right now is through coloring books. Nowadays coloring books aren’t just made for children but for adults as well. Coloring books are easily available in craft stores or online and come in a variety of types, such as flowers, geometric shapes, animals, people, you name it they have it. So you will definitely find a coloring book that suits you. For instance, I own a coloring book on fairies and another one on cats
Benefits of Coloring
Just a little bit of coloring each day, no matter what, in whatever medium, can help improve:
- Your focus
- Allow you to feel calmer,
- Allow you to be more mindful, and quiet.
With just a few moments or a few minutes, of coloring in a day, you can remove your negative thoughts, by slowing everything down and coloring. Each day, you can actually remove negative thoughts and take in more positivity. By being in the moment while coloring, you are focused on choosing your next color and not on the barrage of self-deprecating words we use on ourselves on a daily basis.
It is said that coloring will actually allow you to bring back your inner child. That is because you are listening more closely to your needs when you color and it brings you back to a childlike and innocent state of mind. It allows you to breathe and redirect your brain. A few minutes every day of simply coloring can allow your brain to rest after a long day of work and help you transition more easily into your personal life.
Coloring Mediums
You can use any type of medium from markers, coloring pencils, pastels, crayons, whatever you have on hand. There is no need to go out and buy supplies, you can just pick a couple of different colored pens that you may have at your disposal. If you don’t want to purchase a whole book there are even single coloring pages available online for you to print and color. There are also coloring apps you can use on your smartphone or iPad for fun, and to color in. These will also allow your brain to rewire and redirect your brain into a calmer state.
Coloring and Emotions
It’s well known that we associate different colors with different feelings, emotions, and items. For example red for anger, green for money, blue for calm, pink for tutus, orange for warmth, yellow for energy, purple for royalty, white for purity, black for darkness, or gray for solemnity. These are just a few colors that you can use. You may have different associations with color and you should look closely at the colors you choose while coloring. This can be a window into your feelings. Did you use a lot of red in your picture? Are you feeling angry or passionate? What if you used blue? Are you feeling sad or are you just very chill? Take the time to analyze what colors you are choosing so you can become more aware of your feelings. These are the colors you can use to enhance your life, and help improve your focus.
Take the time today to take out all your colored pens and pencils, grab a coloring book or page and start this therapeutic activity. Below is a link to the Coloring Postcards I created. Download your copy and once you are done coloring and would like to share, I’d love to see what you made. You can send your finished piece to hello@keptcreations.net as an image.
I hope you find coloring as much fun as I do!