Are Adult Coloring Books Good for Mental Health?

by | Oct 13, 2022

Are Adult Coloring Books Good for Mental Health

Thanks to the popularity of adult coloring books, coloring is no longer viewed solely as a childhood hobby. Adults can use adult coloring books to enhance their mental health and overall wellness.

You don’t have to be a terrific artist to enjoy coloring, and there are a ton of fun adult coloring books to choose from. Here’s what you need to know about the mental benefits associated with using adult coloring books, along with tips for incorporating adult coloring into your self-care routine. 

The Benefits of Adult Coloring

Coloring is an excellent way to relax, nurture your mental health, and quiet any stressful thoughts racing through your mind.

Benefits of adult coloring include:

1. Improves Your Brain’s Functioning

When you color, you’re focusing on a single activity rather than trying to multitask and complete several things at once. This requires activation of your brain’s frontal lobe; this is the portion of your brain responsible for solving problems and organizing. 

2. Encourages a Meditative State

Many people find coloring therapeutic because it allows them to put future worries or past regrets out of their mind and focus only on coloring. The act of channeling your energy into one task helps your mind quiet negative feelings and thoughts.

You’ll find that the more you color, the better your ability to shut out unproductive inner dialogue and emotions. With practice, you can acknowledge the intrusive thought without letting it affect your happiness or mental well-being.

3. Boosts Your Motor Skills

Adult coloring books tend to incorporate complex designs that require strong hand-eye coordination to color. Coloring these intricate spaces engages your motor skills and exercises your brain. 

Coloring activates different portions of your brain’s cerebral hemispheres, boosting your creativity and logic-based skills.

4. Helps You Sleep Better

Instead of using your phone before bedtime, try spending a few minutes coloring. There’s no exposure to problematic blue light that can interfere with your body’s ability to get restorative sleep. Coloring allows your body to release melatonin that prepares you to sleep and improves the quality of your sleep. 

5. Alleviates Anxiety

Coloring is an excellent way to reduce feelings of anxiety and has even been shown to induce a lower heart rate. Lower anxiety levels are associated with fewer instances of depression, fatigue, and insomnia. 

 When you’re feeling anxious, spend 20 minutes coloring to lower your anxiety levels and improve your mental state. 

6. Lowers Stress Levels

Repetitive activities, like coloring, are an effective way to reduce your stress levels. Focusing on your coloring sheet means that you’re not thinking about stressful events or problematic situations. 

Many people enjoy the act of coloring. Regularly spending time doing an activity that you like can help you better manage your stress.

How to Make Coloring Part of Your Self-Care Routine

If you’ve already got a full schedule, it might feel difficult to add another task to your day. However, it’s important to realize that activities that support your mental and emotional well-being are a valuable use of your time. 

Make it easy to incorporate coloring into your routine by keeping all your supplies together. Keep your coloring implements in a designated bag that you always store in the same spot. That way, when you have a few minutes to relax, you won’t have to waste time searching for your coloring supplies. 

While coloring is an excellent activity at any time of the day, there are a few popular times to consider when incorporating it into your schedule.

You may want to start your day with 10-15 minutes of coloring while you enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. This helps you tackle your to-do list for the day in a tranquil, intentional frame of mind. 

Or, you might want to color for a few minutes before you go to bed. Coloring is a terrific way to relax and wind down so that your body is ready to sleep. 

Your lunch break is another great time to spend a few minutes coloring. If you’ve had a stressful morning or have a busy afternoon, coloring will lower your stress and boost your focus so that you’re ready for the rest of the day.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that if you only have a few minutes, it’s not worth it to get your coloring supplies and utilize the free time. Even a few minutes is enough to lower your anxiety levels and stabilize your emotions.

Start Integrating More Self-Care into Your Day

BetterYou is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals so that you can improve your physical and mental well-being. Let us know what goals matter to you and we’ll help you make self-care a permanent part of your daily routine. 

Interested in learning more about how we can help your employee population improve their steps and sleep while reducing burnout?

Related Posts