Coloring books, crayons, colored pencils… one would assume those things were just for kids back in the day. Not so much anymore. As a millennial, I’m finding not just my cohorts but also more people of all ages using art as therapy and incorporating art therapy as a mindfulness practice (even unconsciously) by choosing to use coloring books.

Coloring can be a great coping skill that can be used as a positive coping skill when dealing with stress. The benefits of coloring, from my personal experience, are:

• Total mindfulness: When you are coloring, it is key to focus on the picture in front of you so that you color the appropriate parts, stay coloring inside the lines, etc. This experience uses all your mental capacities so there is no time to focus on anything else. All pressing matters have to be put to the side so that you can focus on the task at hand. All with something so simple, who would’ve thought!
• Mood barometer: Surprisingly enough (or not, if you’ve studied art) is that coloring can give you glimpses of your mood and your current state of mind. The colors one chooses to finish the empty drawing with color can show us how we are actually feeling. If your colors are bold and bright, you could be an optimistic person, or you could be viewing your current situation in a positive light. On the other hand, if you use dark and muted colors, there might be issues in your mind that are subconciously coming through in the dark palette you are choosing to color with.
• Coping skill: Coping skills are an essential part of mindfulness and positive mental health overall. Human beings who have these are more likely to cope with hardships in a way that is not as self-destructive as others without positive coping skills. There are many adults who lack these, however, so having a hobby such as coloring as a coping skill is already being ahead of the crowd by a long way. This will let you free your mind so that you can come back to the problem at hand with a clear head and a better decision making process.
• Inner child: I personally believe coloring is a way to give love to your inner child. There are so many activities as kids that we either had not enough time to do, and or for one reason or another could not enjoy simple activities like this as much as we could have wanted. As adults, we can show self-care to our wounded inner child by partaking in an activity that you might have really enjoyed growing up. For me, it’s reading and coloring. What about you?