Yesterday I was cleaning out the drawers in my office and I found a bundle of colored pencils. And I thought, why would I have these? Then I remembered how much I used to enjoy coloring mandalas. For those of you who are not familiar with that word, mandala is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit which is loosely translated to mean “circle”. I immediately connected to how much I enjoyed spending time coloring these intricate designs when I had a few minutes of down time.
Finding these pencils prompted me to review the research on the benefits of coloring. What I discovered was that there is a mountain of research on this topic, especially related to how coloring can reduce stress and anxiety. Furthermore, I found that coloring and coloring books are popular for adults, including college students. As a matter of fact, five of the top 20 best-selling books in 2015 and 2016 on Amazon were adult coloring books (Eaton & Tieber, 2017; Muthard & Gilbertson, 2016).
Here’s a brief summary of the research-based benefits of coloring:
Promotes creativity (Eaton & Tieber, 2017)
Reduces negative mood (Eaton & Tieber, 2017; Flett et al., 2017)
Decreases anxiety and depression (Ashlock et al., 2018; Flett et al., 2017; Muthard & Gilbertson, 2016)
Enhances focus and attention (Flett et al., 2017)
The research also shows that it doesn’t really matter whether you use a coloring book, a mandala, or if you just color in an unstructured way. You reap the benefits in all cases! However, as you consider these benefits, keep in mind that the findings indicate that only those who enjoyed this activity benefited. In other words, if you see this as a task to be endured, then it might not be for you.
If coloring appeals to you, grab one of your children’s or grandchildren’s coloring books and give it a try. If you can’t pry them out of their hands, there are many designed on the internet that you can download at no cost. Why not give it a try?
Returning to what we used to enjoy as children might be just what we need right now. I’ve sharpened my pencils and I am going to schedule a little time each day to engage in this relaxing and soothing activity.
References
Ashlock, L. E., Miller-Perrin, C., & Krumrei-Mancuso, E. (2018). The effectiveness of structured coloring activities for anxiety reduction. Art Therapy, 35(4), 195-201.
Eaton, J., & Tieber, C., (2017). The effects of coloring on anxiety, mood, and perseverance. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 34(1), 42–46. doi: 10.1080/07421656.2016.1277113
Flett, J. A. M., Lie, C., Riordan, B. C., Thompson, L. M., Conner, T. S., & Hayne, H. (2017). Sharpen your pencils: Preliminary evidence that adult coloring reduces depressive symptoms and anxiety. Creativity Research Journal, 29(4), 409-416.