
One of the latest trends is coloring books for adults. Many swear it has a positive effect on their health.
At 18 years old, I was in the hospital recovering from an appendectomy. I woke up to my boyfriend handing me a coloring book and a 64 pack of crayons with a sharpener in the back. Surprised, I asked him why he brought them to me and he responded “you asked for them, being very specific to get the 64 pack of crayons with a sharpener in the back”. I don’t remember asking for this, but I admit I was on heavy pain killers. Interestingly, I found coloring to be very soothing and distracting during my 1 week stay in the hospital.
My older sister was in the hospital a couple weeks ago and when asked if she wanted anything, she answered a coloring book and colored pencils. No, she wasn’t aware that I asked a similar question years ago! She too found it comforting through her recovery.
The latest claim is that coloring reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, decreases anxiety, improves fine motor skills and increases the focus of the brain. It’s considered meditative and centering, just as you would experience in a yoga session.
This isn’t just considered a solo activity. “Colorists”, as they call themselves, started coloring groups in which multiple colorists get together to color. They’ve been known to group at work, at the local café and even at bars.
Coloring books have been used therapeutically by psychologists for their patients for the last hundred years, but this latest fad brought out many concerned psychologists who fear patients may self-prescribe coloring in place of true discussion therapy.
Is coloring for you? Maybe, if you are one of those people who just needs a break from this crazy world and enjoys coloring, I say try it.