Mindful Coloring

By Savannah O’Berry on May 12, 2021

What is mindful coloring? How does mindfulness work when you color? Adult coloring books are everywhere right now so what’s the deal? What is it about coloring that helps with stress and anxiety?

In this post I will talk about how to use mindful coloring for stress relief. Then talk about some health benefits you can get out of this practice. And finally throw in some ideas of what I like to color and what I use with Amazon Affiliate links for you to purchase through if you want. I will receive a commission if you decide to purchase through the links, but there will be no cost to you. So, let’s get started.

Background: Mindful Coloring Explained

The act of coloring can be soothing. By choosing colors and focusing on the image in front of you, you are mindfully coloring. Mindfulness is being aware of the moment and only the task in front of you without letting worries creep in. There are studies that show staying in the here and now is beneficial for wellness and reducing stress.

The here and now is another way of saying the present moment. Your concentration is not on the To Do’s that haven’t gotten done. You don’t let your mind wander to those bills coming up soon. Your concentration is on what is here in front of you and going on now in your world.

Mindful coloring also allows you to connect with your inner child. It can get harder and harder to work the creative side of our brains as adults. We have so much going on and so many responsibilities. Nurturing your inner child through creativity can improve your quality of life while giving you a healthy outlet.

After a long day, I love to grab my colored pencils and one of my coloring books, sit in the quiet and just color. By giving my entire focus to coloring even for a few minutes, the stress that was bubbling up inside me always dissipates. I feel a sense of calm in the chaos that lifts my spirits and keeps me going. After taking the time for mindful coloring, I feel like I can face whatever comes next.

You might be thinking, but I don’t have time to color because I have too much to get done and not enough time to do it. Think of self-care as an investment in yourself. Without it you could start to get burned out which can lead to not being able to get anything done. We are always learning and growing and taking time to color might help you feel better when the stress-monster rears its ugly head. What good is having everything done if you have to burn yourself out to get there?

Health Benefits of Mindful Coloring

Stress is a physical response to things that go on in life which make you feel out of control. Stress can be a motivator, but too much stress can lead to heart problems, restless sleep, headaches, skin rashes and so many other negative physical symptoms let alone the impact stress has on your relationships with others.

Mindfulness has been studied with cancer patients and those with chronic illnesses quite a lot. Although their symptoms often did not go away, they were better able to manage them and had a higher quality of life after incorporating these practices.

There is also research on the benefits of mindfulness on lowering blood pressure and improving weight loss efforts in people who are overweight. For more information about mindfulness benefits, check out this link to a great page written all about it

How to get Started with Mindful Coloring

There are free coloring pages online and inexpensive coloring books for sale in many if not most retailers these days. The following link is for a coloring book that I recently got from amazon and am loving for a quick mindfulness session throughout the day https://amzn.to/3fgNZCU.

It can get overwhelming to see all the options of coloring books and coloring pencils, pens, and markers online, but these come down to what works best for you. I enjoy flowers and nature best, so I lean towards this genre of coloring books with lots of fun patterns to fill in.

The pens I have used previously are Papermate multicolored pens, but I recently got these fine liner pens and am so happy I did! They go onto the paper so smoothly and are really vibrant. Be careful if you use them for coloring because they tend to show through the page. I have stuck to using them in books that don’t have pictures on the backs of the pages https://amzn.to/3blxtAw.

Wrap Up

Coloring should spark your creativity, it isn’t something you are good or bad at it should be a non-judgmental experience. If you try it and it just isn’t right for you, that’s okay! There are other effective ways to incorporate mindfulness in your daily life and reap the benefits of this practice. Check out my upcoming posts on mindful videogames, journaling, and reading for more ideas about different mediums to try out on your mindfulness journey.

Also comment below if you have any favorite ways to get creative. I plan on posting more creativity ideas and quotes on Instagram and Facebook over the next few weeks. Check those out for more inspiration!

Simply,

Soberry

Reference

Ackerman, C. E. (2020, November 9). 7 Great Benefits of Mindfulness in Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology. http://tiny.cc/u7fxtz