STAT BOX
If you’ve checked out Amazon’s best sellers recently, you’ve probably noticed the trend of coloring books making the list. These coloring books aren’t for children, however. They are designed for stressed-out, over-worked grownups, not very unlike you or me. It didn’t take too long for us grownups to jump on this trend.
There is something wonderfully therapeutic to putting down the phone, putting aside the computer, turning off the television, and focusing on coloring. Finding that perfect color, not going outside the lines, and just being creative for a little while helps to make all of life’s stresses melt away for a little while.
The therapeutic power of art is nothing new, however (just ask the wonderful people at RAW Art Works), and coloring is a technique many mental health professionals use with their clients. Coloring can lift our moods, reduce our anxiety, and relieve some of our stress. Coloring can help us to practice mindfulness and meditation in our daily lives by breaking our routines and taking us off autopilot.
So next time you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, why not get a bit nostalgic and grab a coloring book?
