Can you recall being a child coloring? I had alot of coloring books depicting the many characters I loved such as Barney and Sesame Street. There was even a time I had a 3D Wizard of Oz coloring book. I used to love coloring and as I got older being able to stay within the lines always felt good. The feeling of getting lost in the process and creating pictures was amazing and was the beginning of my love for art and just being creative.
Now that I’m older my creative pathways have slightly changed but the love is still there. When it comes to coloring, some smart person realized the positive affects it has on our wellness. In the last few years, adult coloring books have actually become a big thing. Some of the benefits of coloring include…
- Relieving stress by calming the brain and body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that affects mood amongst other things.
- Promoting mindfulness due to the attention/focus that happens when coloring. You become intentional about the work of art before you.
- Allows you to work through your emotions because the colors you use often reflect how you are feeling at that moment.
- Motor skills is more important in early childhood, but in adulthood our muscle tone change as well as our vision. By continuing to actively work on maintaining these skills as we age, we can slow the decline.
Just think back to how you felt as a kid when coloring at home or when engaged in arts and crafts at school. You didn’t have to care about bills, about what to cook for dinner, or about trying to get that promotion. So why not find an adult coloring book that speaks to you. Below you will find some great options with different messages by clicking on the image. Enjoy the carefree moment of creating art. Grab a glass of wine if you want. Our mental wealth of discovering ways to de-stress equals good mental wellness. And remember June is National Minority Mental Health Month! Let’s end the stigma as well as find ways to cope alongside medical treatment. Happy Coloring!
If you decide to use colored pencils as your choice of medium here are some perfect for our different skin tones.
