coloring books for adults

Yesterday, on the way to meet up with a new friend, I stopped by the big bookstore in town to pick up a book I had placed on hold. I told my daughter that I sometimes dislike going into big bookstores, not because they did not have great books but because they did. The entrance/foyer area is my biggest downfall.

If you have ever been in a one of these bookstores, you know this area well. It is where they strategically place their most interesting and heavily discounted books. It gets my wallet every single time. From science related books to leather-bound masterpieces, this is the place I go to stock up on a lot of books for cheap.

I am a self-proclaimed book nerd. I love books!

But as I was looking at these great books, I came across stacks of books that I had heard a lot about lately but that I had not opened since I was a kid—coloring books. From mehndi designs to cats, there were stacks upon stacks of these adult coloring books. Yes, you read that correctly, coloring books for grown people.

Long known for their therapeutic benefits with the elderly and those who have suffered a brain injury, coloring books have become one of the hottest adult products in the publishing world in 2015. Whether you need some fun, an artistic recharge, or some serious stress-relief, adult coloring books are a great way to reclaim your focus and calm the mind.

10 Reasons to Get Coloring

  1. Helps us Disconnect. The act of coloring on paper has showed to be an innovative and trendy solution in our unfocused digital age of social media, smartphones, and email.
  2. Increases Focus. Adult coloring requires the artist to focus on the small details, stay within the lines, and use creativity within fixed limits.
  3. Nostalgia. Remember that feeling of peace and pleasure you experienced while you were coloring as a child? Picking up a crayon can help us reconnect to a child-like sense of simplicity.
  4. Improves Mindfulness. Coloring is an amazing way to familiarize yourself to the concept of mindfulness. Mindfulness is being actively and openly attentive on the present to allow yourself to examine your thoughts and feelings, without judging them.
  5. Promotes Relaxation. Deciding on the colors to use and the soft, repetitive motions of helps to relax your mind–bringing your traditionally quick-moving thoughts down a notch or two.
  6. Healing Benefits. More than just an account of bravura, medical experts say that participating in an art, like coloring, can have a calming, restorative influence, and alter a person’s physiology and perceptions. In fact, it can help decrease pain in cancer patients, help Alzheimer’s patients combat memory loss, and even improve sleep.
  7. Cultivates Creativity. One of the greatest benefits of these coloring books is that you don’t have to be a graphic designer or artist to develop a design—they are already there. There’s something enchanting about the ability to convert a black-and-white page into a work of art.
  8. Inexpensive Pastime. Coloring is inexpensive and does not take a lot of time. Just a few minutes a day can give you great mental and physical benefits. Adult coloring books available on Amazon or you can download coloring sheets from the internet from websites like Coloring Life.
  9. Suit your Mood. There are many adult coloring books available on the market today that appeals to all tastes and styles. From the Stress Relieving Patterns book to the Creative Coloring Inspirations book to the Anatomy Coloring Book, there is something for everyone.  
  10. Get Social. Coloring can be as social or as private as you want it to be. There are now coloring parties, coloring clubs, and coloring contests for kids and adults alike to get creative, disconnect, and unwind.

So go ahead: grab your crayons, find a quiet place, and enjoy this peaceful activity!