A few years ago, adult coloring books were all the rage. And, while they may not be quite so in vogue today, a coloring book can still be a great way to relax and unwind.
Art therapy has been shown to be one of many effective calming techniques for kids and adults alike. It’s a way to reduce stress, combat anxiety, and stay positive.
Whether you’re a kid going on 9 or 90, there are many benefits of coloring therapy. Let’s take a look at why you should pick out some coloring pages and get scribbling!
Coloring Improves Your Motor Abilities
It’s not just your mind that benefits from color therapy. In fact, coloring is a great way to improve your motor skills and to improve your vision!
The reason for this is that it causes both the brain’s hemispheres to communicate. Your logical part of the brain helps you to color inside the lines on your drawing. Your creative part of the brain, in contrast, is stimulated as you choose different colors.
Coloring Boosts Your Focus
In a world where we’re constantly distracted by cellphones and other pieces of technology, it’s not so easy for us to stay focused on one thing at a time.
Coloring, however, helps you focus in a non-stressful environment. Your front lobe is activated while you color. It stops you from focusing on things that are bothering you and instead helps you focus on coloring the page in front of you.
Whether you’re coloring complex mandalas or cute baby dinosaur coloring pages, coloring helps you focus your mind and activates the problem-solving areas of your brain.
Coloring Therapy Can Help You Sleep Better
Another benefit of coloring is that it can actually improve your sleep! If you struggle with insomnia, coloring at night may be a way that you can get some shut-eye more easily.
The reason for this is because most of us choose to look at screens before bedtime. This can reduce our melatonin levels and make it harder to fall asleep.
Coloring doesn’t involve any screen time and doesn’t expose you to blue light. That way, you can begin to calm the mind before bed without interrupting your body’s production of melatonin.
You Can Reduce Anxiety by Coloring
The reason that color therapy was developed to reduce stress and anxiety is that it has a powerful impact on your brain. The amygdala is the brain’s fear center, and this is relaxed when you color.
It calms a restless mind, generates quietness, and leads to mindfulness. In fact, coloring has the same effect on the brain as a meditation session!
Coloring Benefits Kids and Adults Alike
No matter how old or young you are, you can get many benefits from simply picking up a coloring book. Coloring therapy can allow you to relax, de-stress, sleep better, and improve your motor and vision skills.
If you enjoyed reading this article, we’ve got lots more like it for you. Check out some of our other posts to learn about other tactics for managing stress and staying healthy.
