Celebrating National Colouring Day and the Benefits of Colouring!
It’s National Colouring Day!
What better way to celebrate than to take some time to colour?
[image of black and white colouring page with flowers framing the word relax]
The simple definition of colouring is the process or art of applying colour, but there are lots of ways to do just that! Even when it comes to just colouring on paper, we can use crayons, coloured pencils, markers, pastels, and so many other mediums!
The rise of the “adult colouring book” where we were given more detailed pictures to colour with smaller areas than those geared toward children helped bring back colouring for many adults! But why is colouring so popular? What are the possible benefits of colouring?
[image of an array of uncapped markers ]
First, colouring is a great way to relax your mind and improve brain functioning. It helps you focus on the simple task in front of you and keep other thoughts from intruding. Regular colouring and even improve your ability to focus. Further when colouring we use different parts of our brain, activating our problem solving, organising, creativity and logic.
Colouring can also help induce a meditative state, by focusing on the singular action of colouring and letting go of worries about the past or future and being present while you colour.
Not surprisingly colouring can reduce anxiety and relieve stress. In fact colouring for 20 minutes or more, is effective at lowering heart rate and decreasing feelings of anxiety, though more intricate designs, such as a mandala, were more effective than a simple pattern or colouring a blank page. I’ve already talked about how colouring helps you refocus and relax, but it can also stir up feelings of nostalgia and remind us of when we were young. For many, childhood was a less stressful time, and this connection to it can also help relieve stress.
[image of a black and white mandala colouring page ]
Did you know colouring can potentially help you sleep better? That’s right, if you colour before bed, it can give you the benefits above, but also it means you aren’t on an electronic device being exposed to blue light which can hinder sleep quality. Not to mention that it often helps you relax, reduces anxiety, and relieves stress all of which can improve sleep quality.
Finally colouring can improve our fine motor skills, especially the complex designs in many adult colouring books with smaller spaces. These small areas require you to use your hand-eye coordination and other fine motor skills. Electronics are useful and have become a big part of our day but they don’t give us this kind of practice.
With so many potential benefits, why not take some time to colour?!
[image of various coloured pencils lined up in a wavy row]
Join us in celebrating National Colouring Day! I’d love to hear, and see, more about your love for colouring so perhaps you can share by considering the following questions:
Tell us about your colouring preferences. Do you have a favourite colouring medium? What types of pictures do you like to colour? Maybe you have a favourite colouring book?
I described a lot of possible benefits of colouring, have you experienced any of them? Maybe you can think of another benefit you’ve found?
Why not pick something to colour? Maybe take a picture of something you plan to colour, then you can share it with us before and after colouring? (If you need something to colour you can check out https://www.supercoloring.com/sections/coloring-pages for free printable colouring pages!)
Sources: https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/benefits-coloring-adults
https://forms.gle/tSRzfxpQJvvYpZXh6 Feedback & Ideas Form, Share your ideas!
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@Helpingheart23
You found a cat, but shh... don't tell where I am!
@EmotionsListener
Yeah I do make drawings whenever I get time. I would like to share this one in which I tried my best 😛💖
I love various types of media, but my set of Prismacolor premier coloured pencil are my favourite these days. I also like a lot of the books by Johanna Basford like the world of flowers and secret garden. I've been learning I like getting the calendar or planner versions because then they are sort of one sided images and often spiral bound so easier to colour.
One thing I enjoy about colouring is that I often end up happy with the result more so than when I draw, sketch or paint. But I definitely find it helps me relax and refocus as well.
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Alright so here it is, my 'before' and 'after'. (I guess you could say I was inspired by our wonderful CML @MistyMagic ) I hope others will share their efforts! 🥰
@EmotionsListener Oh that is so wonderful!!! Thank-you!! Beautiful! And all inside the lines too.
Listening - One Step At A Time!
A friend colored this mandala for me.
Then I scanned it into Photoshop and enhanced his colors.
@EmotionsListener Yayyyyyy *runs away to color!*
But first this post had to be replied to, it is a trail from last year into this year, from Hobby Zone to the actual creation of the Arts & Crafts Community!
How wonderful is that?
Pick a butterfly to color!
Listening - One Step At A Time!
