January 11th, 2016
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coloring two

It’s one thing to tell yourself that you’re not going to get stressed about the bumps and pitfalls of life and it’s an entirely another thing to actually get rid of the stress that unfortunately comes along with it.

Surprisingly, millions of adults have recently re-discovered the simple and easy fun that comes from taking up something that we all did in our childhoods: color.  Maybe you have read about the popularity of coloring books designed for adults and said to yourself that such a thing as sitting around and coloring pictures would be a silly waste of time since coloring is for children.

No way.  Coloring is definitely an adult activity and you can add me to the list of those who have tried it and found it to be relaxing in a hypnotic way.  There’s something about this hands-on activity, the repetition of picking colors and applying them to the page that helped me and lots of others lose track of time and let our imaginations fly as we got lost in the joyful world of coloring.  I would suggest that you try it for yourself before you automatically dismiss it.

I think one of the reasons that coloring appeals to adults is that it feels like an instant relaxing treat at a time when our lives today are hyper busy.  Doesn’t it seem as if everyone is operating with a full plate of activities and responsibilities that need to constantly be fulfilled?  Besides being stressed out about the routines of daily life, you or possibly someone you know could also be trying to adjust to the loss of a loved one or to a life crisis of a different sort such as a job loss or a serious illness.

Living day-to-day, carrying around all these competing thoughts and anxieties can cause lots of physical health problems and can also make our brains feel totally spent and fried and in need of a well deserved break.

Breaks, down time, play time, rewards are essential for de-stressing.  They allow our minds to rest, our thoughts to calm down and our inner spirits to heal.

mindful coloring

Coloring is therapeutic and can gently take us to rest, calm and healing.  When I first tried coloring, I very quickly got totally lost in the process of slowing down and choosing colors.  (That’s my coloring book posted above.)

It took me back to a simpler time when I was a child and we kept our crayons in circular tins, the same kind of tins that people put cookies in and give away during the holidays.  Anyway, my siblings and I would take our broken crayons and throw them in the tin with new crayons and then lay on the floor with coloring cooks or blank pieces of paper and color and talk for hours.

Just as we sometimes sit and doodle on note pads or loose pieces of paper while another person is talking or when we find ourselves to be day dreaming, coloring with crayons or colored pencils helps us organize our thoughts and allow our minds to creatively wander to out-of-the-box solutions.

Try something new this year and mix up the way you deal with those bad boys from Stressy World.

Color up your awesome world!

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2 Responses to “Color Up Your Awesome World”

  1. Debbie

    Coloring is helping me concentrate and focus. The effort clears my mind (although I do find this difficult) and is a creative outlet for someone not very creative!

    Reply
    • Mary Kate Cranston

      Hi Debbie! Thanks for checking in. I agree that coloring clears your mind. I like to open up the coloring book when I come home from work. It helps me de-stress!

      Reply

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