In a world dominated by screens and digital demands, so many of us are left feeling disconnected and overwhelmed.
Enter adult coloring books – a surprisingly simple yet powerful way to hit pause on the chaos and reconnect with yourself.
Just like writing by hand, coloring activates different parts of your brain, offering a break from the constant black-and-white of everyday work and inviting you into a world of mindful color and creativity.
Picking up crayons or markers isn’t just about creating art; it’s about creating space for your mind to breathe.
Whether you’re easing stress, practicing mindfulness, or learning to embrace imperfection, adult coloring books are more than just a pastime – they’re a doorway to a calmer, more connected version of you.
Let’s explore how this seemingly playful activity can double as a serious mindfulness practice – and stress reliever at the same time.
3 Mental Benefits of Coloring
We’ve gone digital in so many ways – and for much of it, it can be really make our lives easier. Replacing paper with digital copies can help us declutter, for one, and make it easier to trace our history, finding files in the blink of an eye.
But on the flip side, more and more of us sit in front of a screen all day long, exhausting ourselves in the name of creativity. Putting the keyboard to rest and picking up crayons for one day is the best thing many of us can do in order to re-build a bridge between our hearts and minds.
1. You’re practicing mindfulness.
It can be so hard to stay in the present moment – we all have a million thoughts banging around our heads all day. You worry about tomorrow or fret about something you did weeks ago.
Mindfulness, being in the present, allows you to just experience what’s happening right now. And here’s where coloring comes in.
Paying attention to the colors you use, watching the image take shape, even paying attention to staying in the lines if you want to – all of these things keep you in the moment. You can completely immerse in what you’re doing, letting the noise and worry of the world around you fade away, while you enjoy your task.
As you know if you ever try meditation – your thoughts will pop in as you color, and you can let them pass through without judging them. I find that when I color or do puzzles, I actually let my mind wander to see where it goes. I’m so focused on my coloring that I can let whatever’s in my head just sort of explore – and I’ve had some pretty interesting thoughts pop up when I don’t force this process.
2. It’s a stress reliever.
Coloring is such a satisfying and creative process that’s in a league of its own. It’s just as if you were meditating. It relieves stress, slows your heart rate and brings you to a calmer place.
When you’re tapping into your creativity, (and you definitely are when you’re coloring) it can be easier to get into a mind flow state, where you basically are so focused on what you’re doing, you totally immerse yourself. It’s where we don’t realize we’ve been doing something for hours…ie. “where did the time go?”
Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the father of flow theory, described this as the mental state where people are completely absorbed by what they are doing – they’re so immersed in the activity (whether physical or mental), they can lose time.
The core characteristics to achieving a flow state include1 :
- a high level of concentration
- a sense of control
- decreased worry
- a clear goal
- immediate feedback
- altered sense of time
Of course, the benefits of all of this – being mindful, allowing yourself to be absorbed by your task, finding satisfaction and enjoyment in what you’re doing – all of these things help you clear your head, let go of worries and overall, bring a sense of calm.
Coloring takes your focus away from everyday problems, relieving some of that stress you’ve been carrying and letting you just be while you’re there.
A Mind Flow State: 6 Ways to Get Into the Zone
3. It can help you develop self-compassion and ease perfectionism.
Sounds like a hefty promise, right? But something as simple as coloring in a book can help you practice the kind of self-talk you should be giving yourself on the day-to-day.
While those of us who deal with perfectionism know it’s not that easy, coloring is a relatively low-stakes practice (Unless for some reason, you’ve entered a contest or something.). If you color outside the lines, so what? If you dislike the color palette you chose, simply turn the page and start again.
There are no mistakes when you let yourself get creative – you’re just experimenting! Your only goal here is to enjoy yourself.
And really, if you can start to allow yourself to let go of expectations, ‘make mistakes’ or ‘be bad’ in a simple practice like this, think about how you could apply that to the rest of your life. Coloring can help you be less hard on yourself.
Adult Coloring Books to Try
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Set of 2 Gratitude and Mindfulness Books – Beautiful images throughout, but the added benefits of affirmations, journal prompts and inspirational quotes can really enhance your whole mindfulness experience.
Set of 2 Colorful Journeys and Colorful Cities Coloring Books: If you’re inspired more by traveling than you are about scenery, flowers and animals, this is a great option to try. I also love how it can tap into your wanderlust and encourage you to dream about your next trip or adventure – or maybe to reminisce about favorite vacations you’ve taken in the past.
Adult Coloring Books: What are you waiting for?!
Coloring is no longer just for kids.
The stress-relieving benefits alone can compel any grown up to pause and pull out the crayons again. Practicing mindfulness, easing worries and slowing us down are all important for our physical and mental health.
But at the crux of it all – coloring is just fun. And couldn’t we all use a healthy dose of that right now?
Editor’s note: This article was originally published Nov 8, 2021 and has been updated to improve reader experience.
1 The Guardian.com – The flow state: the science of the elusive creative mindset that can improve your life