Coloring books and stress relief
When you were young, you probably burned through coloring books at the same breakneck pace you went through clothing or Halloween candy. Well, many people believe creative, unstructured activities like coloring relieve stress, increase focus, help you connect with others and improve mental acuity — in adults.
In fact, scientific research has gone so far as to prove it: One study from the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association revealed coloring mandalas or plaid patterns for 20 minutes significantly lowered a person’s anxiety levels while free-form coloring on blank paper had no effect.
What might the reasons be behind this phenomenon as it applies to your busy, workaday life?
No wrong way to color
At the office, you may need to adhere to a set process to perform a given task, like using a uniform email signature for client correspondence or booking a conference room through the appropriate channels.
Now, think about how you color. Do you stick with realistic colors or are you the type who colors the sky purple? Do you outline an area before filling it in? Do you make up-and-down scribbles? Do you draw little pictures inside blank areas before coloring them over?
Doesn’t really matter — all of these methods work because play should always be flexible and formless. Uniformity has its place in the office, but coloring is an exercise in free expression.
Color for yourself
Imagine how silly that would be: Jones, I’m going to need those mandalas on my desk by 5 pm sharp. And don’t skimp on the hot pink!
As fulfilling as your job may be, work there will always be obligatory. When you color, however, you make the rules, so choose the coloring area and set a time limit according to what you need. Coloring as play enhances a feeling of willpower and control.
Zero consequences
Activities like coloring also provide participants a brief reprieve from a high-stakes work environment. Lose the wrong spreadsheet and it could make for a very difficult quarter. Mess up the colors in a coloring book pattern and you can always turn to Page 2.
Relearning how to color as an adult
Although the completed pages of your favorite adult coloring book may never grace exhibit halls at the Louvre, there’s definitely an art to the act of coloring for those seeking stress relief. Maybe as children we could plop down anywhere with a box of crayons and have at it, but as an adult coloring requires greater attention to where and how you make art if you hope to achieve a real respite:
1. Find a business-free zone: Coloring books and a cluttered desk don’t mix. Whether you work at home or in an office, relocate to an area where you won’t be distracted by your email inbox, memos or chatty coworkers. Leave your smartphone behind, too.
2. Fine-tip coloring utensils only: Adult coloring enthusiasts can’t pay careful attention to detail with chunky wax crayons. Break out the Prismacolor colored pencils or markers instead. Fine tips keep you focused on every stroke.
3. Stay inside the lines: While the greatest paintings, sculptures and performance art pieces challenge conventions and defy expectations, coloring books don’t work the same way, especially if the end goal is relaxation.
4. Don’t rush: Carving out even 15 minutes from your day to color might not be easy, but once you do, dedicate yourself fully to your project. You don’t receive extra credit for finishing the whole page in a single session, so always take your time.