We used to associate colouring with children only, but recently the hobby has attracted a new demographic. The sudden emergence of adult colouring has taken the world by storm and become an international trend. Now when you walk into a book store you’ll see shelves filled with adult colouring books and accessories. It is no doubt this hobby has been adapted by adults all over the world, but what is it that makes adult colouring so enticing? It turns out adult colouring isn’t as new as it seems. Doctors have been prescribing their patients with colouring materials since the 20th century. Since then, many studies have taken place to show the numerous benefits of adult colouring and why people are so attracted to it, including stress release. Here are a few of the ways that adult colouring can help relieve stress.

1. “Unplugging”

In this day and age, we are constantly surrounded by technology in which we feel must be consistently checked on and/or updated. From texts, calls and emails, to numerous social media platforms, it is no doubt keeping up can be exhausting. That is why adults these days may feel the urge to “unplug” and do something with their time that involves no phones or computers – just a real, old-fashioned hobby. Unplugging from this vicious cycle of sending and receiving messages, updating posts etc. can undoubtedly decrease stress by allowing us to switch off our brains from other thoughts and focus on the task at hand.

2. Thinking Positive

Dr. Joel Pearson, a brain scientist at the University of New South Wales in Australia revealed that concentrating on the shapes and colours may facilitate the replacement of negative thoughts and images with pleasant ones. This means that colouring has a positive psychological effect which could help those who suffer from anxiety and depression, and also shows the relation of colouring and meditation – as both activities help one focus their mind, relieving stress and negativity.

3. Sleeping Better

Due to the fact that colouring helps reduce stress, it of course also aids in relaxation and therefore helps improve sleeping patterns. Psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala proves the correlation between colouring and relaxation, “The action involves both logic, by which we colour forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colours,” she said. “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.” So kick back, relax, and open up that colouring book before bed for a good night’s rest.

4. Reconnecting with Your Inner Child

Perhaps a reason why a lot of past trends re-emerge – the want to reconnect with your inner child. Remember the time when you didn’t even know what the word “stress” was? You just sat on your bedroom floor with your overloading boxes of crayons and pages of doodles. Adult colouring allows you to bring yourself back to that time – living in the stress free moment while focusing on your art.

5. Boosting Creativity

If you have tried adult colouring, surely you’ve discovered how much your colouring skills have improved since you were a toddler (or at least we hope!). Even if you aren’t a highly skilled sketch artist, focusing on the shapes while having the creative freedom to mix and match colours can help boost your creativity.

Looking for some colouring TIPS and TRICKS?

We found a handy guide for adult colouring techniques ranging from starters, the intermediate and experts!