“The soul becomes dyed with the colors of it’s thoughts”
A simple activity takes us outside ourselves, like cutting the lawn, knitting or taking a Sunday drive can all be relaxing. Similarly a simple act such as coloring, takes your attention away from yourself and onto the present-moment event. Adult coloring can be a wonderful escape. Adult coloring books have flooded shelves everywhere in the last few years with their empty patterns of mandalas, animals and floral designs, seem to be everywhere. Having hobbies to help de-stress is nothing new, whether people like to golf, cook, build model airplanes or put together scarp books. But with the current state of daily life and so many uncertainties looming in the distance, coloring might just be the ticket to help you unwind and re-center.
The process of making and creating artworks is used to explore feeling, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem. Yet art therapy is not about learning and improving yourself, it’s a mean of personal expression. Coloring is also tapping into our creative abilities, though at a different intensity level than other creative activities. I truly believe that mindfulness practice could benefit everyone in their personal and professional lives. It’s a to add stress relief and focus on your day to day. Go ahead: color outside the lines! The outcome of coloring isn’t predictable or prescriptive. It can be neat or as messy as you choose and this is one of it’s relaxing perks.
