Five reasons why coloring is good for you

We often associated coloring with kids, but adult coloring is a growing trend—one that you can benefit from. Scientific research shows that when you're involved in something repetitive and mindful, like coloring, your brain changes. You're more focused, calm and feel as though you can make good decisions. There is a similar physiological response in people who practice mindfulness or a formal meditation practice where your breathing becomes deeper and your heart rate slows down. 

Simple coloring can be meditative, challenging and relaxing. Here are a few more reasons you may want to pick up your crayons to relax:

1. Focus and creativity

Coloring puts your focus on something beautiful and takes you away from any negative thoughts. It also ignites creativity which can continue on into other aspects of work and play.

2. Reduced anxiety

Coloring can help you replace negative thoughts with positive, pleasant ones. Doing therapeutic artwork can help reduce your feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness associated with lengthy medical treatments, for example. The focus you place on the project at hand and on an object can replace negative and unhelpful thoughts from entering your mind.

3. Stress relief

Coloring has been shown to have stress-reducing benefits by calming the amygdala, the part of your brain related to the fear/stress response, while stimulating the parts of your brain that are responsible for creativity and logic.

4. Mind-body connection

When you color, you use both sides of your brain and develop your bilateral coordination. You're simultaneously using logic to plan and creativity to color. Coloring also develops your fine motor skills.

5. Simplicity

Coloring is an activity that brings you back to what might have been a simpler and happier time -- childhood. A time when you didn't have as many responsibilities and could do something just because you wanted to, for the pure joy of it. To be able to tap into this time and these emotions is very cathartic and enjoyable. It can take you out of your present stresses and worries for even a few hours at a time, which can have an exceptionally recuperative effect.

Print a variety of coloring pages from this digital coloring book.