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I had no idea how popular coloring is among adults until I made a coloring book. Doing any activity that allows us to reconnect with our inner child is fun, but why is coloring as adults so popular?

It’s good for your health. 

Some of the positive benefits of coloring include:

• improves motor skills
• Stress relief
• Helps combat habits that we want to kick
• Improves sleep
• Reduces anxiety
• Improves focus
• Creativity
• Mindfulness
• Induces a meditative state
• Boosts concentration
• Better mental health
• It’s just plain fun!

So let’s talk about it!

Mindfulness

One of my favorite benefits of coloring is mindfulness. That’s the ability to focus and just be in the moment. We as adults often have so much on our minds that it’s good to just block everything out, and focus on the now. Focusing on choosing the colors that cater to our imagination. Focusing on staying in the lines. Pausing to admire the process as you let your creativity flow. Closing off whatever you were thinking of before you sat down to hook up some pretty dope refrigerator art. It’s also a good way to occupy your mind when you are working to kick habits. 

While coloring a picture of a cute kitten isn’t a sure fire cure for stress and anxiety, it can definitely be a big help! Relax as you color. Breathe deeply and steadily. Deep breathing and focusing on something are some of the first professional steps that are recommended to ground yourself when having an anxiety attack. Coloring is such a fun way to help you to sleep better, decrease your heart rate during anxiety, and to disconnect from any stressful feelings, thoughts and emotions as you color. 

Boosts Concentration

Focusing on something so fun yet calming is a great way to improve concentration. It has been found to help some people who have dissociative disorders, ADHD(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), dementia and more when you give coloring a real chance and practice. It took me a while to be able to concentrate on coloring, but I am a coloring boss now that I stuck with it! 

If your mind wanders just know that it’s okay! Just gently guide yourself back to the task at hand, and eventually you will be able to concentrate on coloring what is before you. It’s not like it has to be done in one sitting. You can always come back to finishing your picture at another time. Coloring uses parts of your brain that enhances focus. Your brain is a muscle. It gets better at it’s job the more you work it out! If you notice that you have issues with focusing on finishing the picture, just know that you will see improvement if you keep working at it. 

Don’t worry about the perfect color choices. Anything you choose is just fine. Don’t worry about if it’s messy or not. Focus more on enjoying the process instead of critiquing yourself. Embrace the imperfect. The finished picture is uniquely yours. So don’t think that “Oh, I can’t color!” and cut off the notion of it. Know that it’s a creative means full of positive benefits and relaxation. I gave it a serious chance after dismissing it myself in the past. My pictures aren’t the best, but I enjoy sitting down and just coloring my behind off now. Whodathunk?! 

Check out our coloring book Real Affirmations Color Real People that is currently available in my Digital Printshop as a downloadable PDF that you can print instantly, or order your physical copy through our besties at Amazon! It couples using positive affirmations with the benefits of coloring to help manifest change in our lives. Check it out! If you color any of the pages please tag me in them on social media or send a photo or video! My favorite customer Raspberry the Cat did!

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