De-Stress Tip of the Week: Get out your crayons!

When I was a kid, my mother would sit and color with me on many occasions, even when it was obvious that she was a very busy person.  Of course, I was thrilled to share this activity with her and always admired how skilled she was at it.  When she finished a page, she'd go back to whatever it was she was doing.  In my 7-year-old understanding of the world, I thought she just wanted to do something fun together, and in part, that was true.  However, a surge of interest in coloring books for adults has emerged, and there's a very good reason why...because it feels good.

Drew this myself!

One of the first psychologists to apply coloring as a relaxation technique was Carl G. Jüng in the early 20th century. He did this through drawing and colorizing mandalas: circular designs with concentric shapes similar to the Gothic churches’ rose windows.

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The act of coloring utilizes both sides of our brain, and calms it at the same time, says psychologist Gloria Martínez Ayala. "The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colors. This incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills...The relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress."

Get 'em out, I tell you!

In simplest terms, coloring has a de-stressing effect because our focus is directed on a pleasurable and creative activity, and as a result provides temporary relief from our worries. The repetitive action of drawing a mandala or the back-and-forth movements when we color produces a rhythmic and soothing effect.  It also momentarily transports us to our childhood, which we often remember as a simpler and less stressful time.

So, apparently Mom knew what she was doing, and used that special time with me in a shared creative activity to take care of herself.  So whaddya waitin' for?  Grab your crayons, markers, colored pencils and coloring book.  You'll feel better when you do.

To learn more about the many benefits of coloring, visit here.