5 Ways Adult Coloring Is Good For Your Emotional Health

No matter how old I get, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy coloring. Adults just tend to not color as often (in public) because it’s not, you know, always socially acceptable— until now, that is.

That’s right. Coloring for adults has become quite popular lately, and there are plenty of good reasons why you should jump on the bandwagon with this whole grown-up coloring thing. Not only is it a great way to have a little fun, it’s actually good for you, in a number of ways.

So, if you needed an excuse to go ahead and break out the pencils or crayons— you just got it. For an enjoyable, stress relieving past-time, look no further than putting color on the page to be everything that you need to let loose and relax a little. Find out five ways coloring can actually improve your health.

1. Relieves Stress

Ok, so while you may have been taught to color within the lines, there are no actual consequences if you don’t. The fact that there’s no right or wrong way to do this task makes it a very low-stake environment.

This allows stress to fade away, and, even if only for a brief moment, you’ll feel way more stress-free than you normally do. Because not everything is as simple as coloring a picture— except for when you’re, well, coloring a picture.

2. Improves Mood

Colors can evoke a change in mood, and how can your spirits not brighten at the thought of getting to use whatever color you’d like to decorate a blank page. You can’t help but feel better with a colorful utensil in your hand, you know?

3. Boosts Creativity

Coloring will allow you to relax and give you an opportunity to just be yourself, without any judgment. You want to color the sky purple and the grass yellow? Then, go right ahead. If you can dream it— you can do it, am I right?

4. Gives You A Chance To Relax

If you just need to take a minute to unwind, pour yourself a glass of wine and break out the coloring book (this is an adult activity, after all). There’s nothing like getting the creative juices flowing to help you relax a little.

5. Allows You To Focus

Staying in the lines (if that’s your thing) isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Adding colors to the page allows you to relax a little, but still requires your focus. Need to brainstorm for a project at work? Try coloring as a brainstorm activity.

It might allow you to focus on something other than work just long enough to come up with that brilliant idea you had in that head of yours all along.

I’m thinking that we should all give this coloring thing a try. If it can increase creativity and help you relax— how bad could it be, you know? In fact, I think I’ll try it out sooner rather than later. Can someone pass me the blue?

[h/t: CNN]