Stress is best relieved in the air, during exercise. But what helps during covid times? Locked in our homes, we need stress reducers even more. Can coloring books help?

Stress-reducing coloring books are not an entirely new topic, but in this age of lock down and having to sit at home, it’s timely again. Any way to reduce stress is good, as long as it works for us. So why not try coloring books?

A coloring book is rather associated with childhood. On one hand it is supposed to teach the youngest ones precision, patience and accuracy, being a distant prelude to learning writing. On the other hand, it is just a nice, relaxing activity, making time more enjoyable. In the adult world the mechanism is the same. Coloring books are meant to give us relaxation, an escape from everyday life and deep relaxation.

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Anti-stress coloring book for adults

How does such a coloring book differ from those dedicated to children? First of all, the size of the coloring half. Coloring books for adults are much more precise and demanding. Thanks to that the final effect is much more interesting. Secondly, coloring books for adults contain much more abstract shapes. The patterns are more futuristic in nature. A lot of inspiration is taken from floral motifs and mandalas.

The aforementioned mandala may have been the inspiration for the concept of adult coloring books. This technique, originating from Buddhism, is based on creating patterns e.g. from colored sand, and then destroying them. Creating mandalas is a form of meditation, so in a nutshell it can also be considered as a fight against stress.

Types of anti-stress coloring books

In bookstores and on the Internet, you can purchase entire books with coloring patterns. Different sizes and thematic types are available on the market:

• botanical motifs,
• animal motifs,
• landscapes,
• mandalas,
• clothing and fashion,
• culturally specific patterns e.g. Scandinavian, Japanese,
• abstraction and futurology.

You can choose not only the theme of the coloring books, but also the appropriate size. You can buy larger albums like A3 or A4, but also more compact versions.

Depending on what kind of coloring tool we are going to use, it is worth to choose an appropriate paper. For regular crayons paper thickness is not so important. If you want to color with thin pens, markers or a wet tool, it is advisable to choose a colouring book on thicker paper, such as technical paper or cardboard.

Advantages of colouring in

• A universal activity – for all genders and all ages. The theme can be chosen according to your interests.
• Cheap entertainment – coloring books can be downloaded for free on the Internet and printed by yourself. The prices of ready-made colouring books range from 5 PLN upwards.
• Beautiful souvenir – the self-created pictures can be hung on the wall or given to someone as a gift. The coloring book can be used as a birthday card for a loved one.
• Little demanding – for such relaxation we do not need much space or additional equipment. Just a pencil, crayons or markers and a piece of table or a pad.
• Versatile – coloring develops imagination and creativity. It also trains patience and diligence.
• Stress-relieving – Coloring is an absorbing activity that deeply relaxes and lets you get away from reality.

An interesting type of coloring books for adults is painting by numbers. The mechanism is similar to the coloring book, but the final effect is more spectacular. We buy a set, which includes a canvas with a pattern, the fields of which are numbered. Additionally, we get paints (also numbered) and brushes, as well as instructions how to paint.

Anti-stress coloring books are a very handy tool for stress relief. You can successfully take them with you when traveling. You can color in bed and at breakfast. You can complete the coloring book while talking on the phone or listening to a lecture.

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