Colouring Books are More Beneficial Than you Think

Summary

Adult colouring books offer numerous benefits, including stress relief, improved sleep, enhanced focus, mental strength, and a decrease in anxiety and depression.

Abstract

The article emphasizes that adult colouring books are not just a pastime but a tool for mental well-being. They are reported to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, increase focus through the challenge of colouring within lines, and contribute to overall mental strength. A personal anecdote from the author illustrates the joy and calmness experienced from revisiting colouring as an adult. The article suggests that in a world filled with distractions, especially from mobile phones, colouring can serve as a form of mindfulness and anti-stress therapy. It also cites a 2012 NHS study and research from New Zealand that support the mental health benefits of engaging in creative activities like colouring.

Opinions

The author initially doubted the effectiveness of colouring books for adults but later found them beneficial for relaxation and fun.
Colouring is presented as a superior alternative to using a mobile phone before bed, as it does not emit blue light that can disrupt sleep cycles.
Leslie Marshall's opinion is cited, suggesting that colouring activates the frontal lobe of the brain, which is associated with problem-solving and organization.
The author recommends purchasing a wide range of colouring pencils (48+) to avoid boredom with limited colour options.
The article endorses The Works and Amazon UK for affordable colouring books and supplies, while also suggesting free digital colouring resources for those looking to save money.
The author encourages readers to incorporate colouring into their daily routine, even if it's just for a few minutes, to reap its mental health benefits.

Colouring Books are More Beneficial Than you Think

Colouring books are more beneficial than you think. I do not mean children’s colouring books, I mean adult ones. We all know colouring books for children just keep children quiet which is the job done. However, there are multiple benefits for adults spending some inner child time colouring in.

I bought myself a colouring book years ago. One for mindfulness and anti-stress so I could retain my sanity during university. Unfortunately, I only ever coloured one or two pages and it wasn’t my best piece of work. I wondered, “How can this possibly do anything for anyone?” There are too many distractions surrounding a human being these days, the major one being your mobile phone.

A few weeks ago, my mother was clearing out the garage and said: “Do you want this?” presenting to me the colouring book. My instinct told me to take it and to actually do some colouring. So I did. I went out to the supermarket, bought a fresh set of colouring pencils and a fancy sharpener. One that has its own pot attached to the sharpener so you don’t have to lean over the bin. As I set to colour one night after work, I actually found I was excited. My inner child was back again. I felt calmer, had more control over my thoughts and was actually having a lot of fun.

Here are some benefits to colouring books for adults (please be advised I do not know if these have been scientifically proven):

It is said to relieve stress and anxiety. Many adult books will have the word “mindfulness” or “anti-stress” in their title as that is what they aim to provide.

It helps you sleep better. It is much better to spend two hours colouring before bed then scrolling through your phone. What IS scientifically proven is that scrolling through your phone before bedtime is damaging to your sleep cycle due to the blue light emissions from your phone.

Colouring helps you stay focused. Keeping within the lines is something everyone wants to do when colouring. Leslie Marshall argues that colouring helps open the frontal lobe of the brain which is responsible for organising and problem-solving.

Build your mental strength. A 2012 NHS study reported that 80% of participants in a painting class reported increased motivation and confidence.

It can decrease anxiety and depression. In these unprecedented times, not just COVID-19 but also due to pressures in society in general, mental health is a serious pandemic in itself. Researchers in New Zealand found that colouring induces a meditative state and recommended that colouring become an everyday task, even if it just for minutes.

So, go and grab your colouring book! I recommend purchasing from The Works (not sure if this is a store anywhere other than the United Kingdom) as they always have ongoing sales. Amazon UK as always is fairly cheap too and they also do a good range of colouring pencils and paints. I do not recommend only buying about 20 colours. I would say have a good range of around 48+ otherwise it gets a bit boring seeing the same colours. If you are on a serious saving roll, you can even just print blank pages of patterns from the internet. For those who haven’t got a printer, there is now a range of digital colouring books in today’s society.

Have fun!