What was earlier known as a fun and engaging activity for children—has now become a popular tool for adults to improve overall well-being.
While kid's colouring books characterise simple designs and cartoon characters—adult colouring books feature mandalas, intricate patterns or animals. You can purchase colouring books online or print colouring pages and get started. If you are into digital art, there are numerous colouring apps that you can download on your mobile or tab. However, if you are wondering why so many adults embrace this as therapy or a hobby, read on and explore its benefits.
Colouring books are an incredible tool to calm your mind. When you are engaged in this activity, you are focused, and it allows your mind to relax by keeping intruding thoughts at bay.
Colouring books can also enhance your brain functioning—by activating various parts of the brain’s cerebral hemispheres.
When choosing what colours you want to use—it arouses your creative flair, and as you fill colours in different shapes and forms, the part of your brain that imparts logic—also gets activated.
Adult colouring books can be used by adults for therapeutic purposes. Some studies have revealed that when you are focusing on the intricate designs or patterns of a colouring page—can help your mind achieve a meditative state.
This meditative state can be achieved by an individual only when they stop focusing on past or future woes and concentrate on the present. When you are concentrating on a specific engaging activity like colouring—it helps eliminate inner dialogue and keeps negative emotions and thoughts at bay.
There are fewer activities as effective as colouring—at soothing anxiety and stress. It can calm your mind, allowing your body to relax. This simple and enjoyable activity promotes better sleep and eliminates fatigue while minimising body aches, and anxiousness, and boosting mood.
Colouring books are not the ultimate cure for relieving anxiety and stress. However, devoting your time to a long colouring session can benefit your mind and body in several ways. When colouring, focus on your breathing rhythm—ensuring full, steady breaths from the diaphragm, and periodically, concentrate on your pulse rate.
Colouring has no rules—there is no correct or wrong way—a non-competitive activity. Therefore, you don't have to face the pressure of "levelling up," or beating the clock. Enjoy this soothing activity for as long as you like. You don't have to fill an entire page with colours in a day or even in one sitting. Free yourself of expectations or judgments and enjoy colouring. You don't have to care about whether the picture is messy or neat, all you have to do is relax and have fun while colouring.
Captivating activities like colouring can help individuals become more mindful. Mindfulness enables us to concentrate and live in the moment.
For instance, when you are concentrating on staying within the lines while colouring, your mind is focused on the present moment. Your mind can suspend the unwanted noise around you and help you live in the moment.
More complex and intricate designs with fewer and smaller spaces for colouring require motor skills and hand-eye coordination—these skills can not be honed when scrolling down your devices. Some health experts believe that engaging in activities like colouring can also slow down the onset of dementia.
Adult colouring is now touted as an effective relaxation technique and self-care approach. If you can’t bring yourself to meditate to relax your body, mind and soul—consider grabbing some colours and get started!
