The Ideal Relaxing Hobby: Coloring for Adults

Adult coloring has become quite a phenomenon in recent times. While coloring was seen as an activity to entertain and keep children busy, recent findings show it has immense benefits for adults too. If you are a grown-up individual, who is yet to try coloring, read on to know how it can benefit you.

The Benefits of Adult Coloring

Kids use coloring to calm themselves, focus on something they enjoy, and relax. Did you know that coloring has the same calming effect even on us adults? The human brain experiences relief through coloring and enters an almost meditative state. It is a great relaxation hobby, and it’s proven to reduce anxiety and stress levels.

Your energy levels increase as you become more positive, and you can see a reduction in negative thoughts and energy. It helps you to concentrate on the present. This apart, it is also effective at assisting people to’ unplug’ from the mass of technological distraction of everyday life. Coloring is something everyone can perform and needs little to no skills. All you need is a pencil, a book, and necessary motor skills. Besides, this is a hobby you can carry with you wherever you go!

How Are Adult Coloring Books Different From Those for Children?

Adult coloring books are slightly different from those you would purchase for children. These coloring books feature more exceptional quality paper, far more intricate designs, and patterns. It has a wide selection of themes. Some themes aren’t even child-friendly, for example, swear word coloring books! No matter what you enjoy as an adult, there are likely coloring books themes that you will enjoy.

Coloring and Meditation

Several people swear by coloring as a form of meditation. When you practice meditation, your brain enters a state of relaxation and focuses on the present. The distraction of continuous thought processes and worries that we all tend to experience diminishes. This calms and relaxes your brain from the everyday stresses of life.

Dr. Stan Rodski is a neuropathologist with his line of adult coloring books, which speaks volumes. According to Dr. Rodski, coloring allows the brain to switch off and focus on the present. Mindfulness is what helps you stop worrying about the past and the future. Several studies in this area also show how mindfulness helps reduce anxiety levels.

What Science Says About It

If you don’t find it convincing already, here are a few benefits of coloring. A study by Nancy A. Curry investigates the effects of coloring geometric patterns and mandalas on stress and anxiety levels. According to the study, the complexity and the structure of the mandala and plaid designs took participants into a meditative state. Thus reducing their anxiety and stress levels. It is the repetition and attention to detail that helps induce this meditative state. This, in turn, helps evaporate worries, distracting thoughts, and stress.

Your Inner Child

Psychologists and brain scientists both believe that coloring is an act that brings out your inner child. This means your brain goes back to the simpler times when your biggest fear was missing out on your favorite TV show. The study also shows that when you concentrate on coloring a picture, it replaces your negative feelings and thoughts with positive ones.

Use Coloring to Unplug From Technology

It is hard to escape technology in today’s world. Throughout the day, we are involved in using some technology. You are either sitting in front of your computer, scrolling through your smartphone, or sitting working on your laptop. Thus working all the time, even when on the move. It is rare for people to unplug from technology and enjoy anything else.

It is essential to develop hobbies that help you unplug from technology. Coloring lets you do that as you can unwind and unplug for however long you choose to color for. During this time, technology is far from your mind. Besides this, you get to let loose your imagination and creativity. It is a freeing activity.

So whether you are an artist or not, adult coloring is an attractive and beneficial hobby. If you’re up for it, you could even decorate your home with your coloring and share your hobby with everyone around you! So, go out and get yourself a coloring book today!