Coloring My Way Through Hard Times

Coloring has been a favorite pastime of mine since I was a little bitty kid. Every color in the 64 Crayola Crayon Box was etched in my mind. I STILL think a brand new box of crayons is one of the best things in life. The smell alone is pure happiness!! The only complaint: We all know the sharpeners suck – not sure why they advertise them so boldly on the box.

The Red and Cornflower Blue crayons were my favorites. My evil sister knew this and would color so hard with them until either the tip broke, or the crayon wore down to the paper. Because of the poor quality of the sharpeners, I knew the perfect point would never be seen again. Tears would flow for hours. Hmmmm….was this an early indication of a particular personality type??

Fast forward MANY years and coloring is still part of my life. The crayons were recently upgraded to a Faber-Castell box of 120 colored pencils. They glide on the paper oh soooo nicely. An A++ sharpener allows me to keep the perfect point. All is right in the world – mostly.

I recently stocked up on coloring books. A local art store had a ton of ‘adult’ coloring books on display, so of course, several have joined the shelves in the house. More and more pages of these books are filling up with color.

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I have been coloring A LOT lately. Mostly to keep my mind focused on the present and off of the obvious chaos of the world these days. It’s working. It’s a positive distraction. It’s keeping anxiety at bay. It’s proving to me that I am not an artist and confirms the right profession was chosen. LOL.

Huff Post had a great article called “7 Reasons Adult Coloring Books Are Great for Your Mental, Emotional and Intellectual Health”. It has had such a positive impact on recent day-to-day living, this summarized article is meant to be shared. Here goes:

1. Many psychologists suggest this to patients as an alternative to meditation, as a means of relaxation, and as a calming tool.

2. Coloring Can help with a number of emotional and mental health issues. For many, boredom, lack of structure, and stress are the greatest triggers. This applies to individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety disorders, stress disorders, depressive disorders, eating and binge eating disorders, anger management issues, and substance abuse issues. 

3. These activities can help tremendously with individuals with PTSD, anxiety, and stress issues. It lets your brain have some much needed rest and relaxation.

4. Coloring also brings us back to a simpler time. An activity that can invoke the easier and happier times of childhood.

5. It has intellectual benefits as well. It utilizes areas of the brain that enhance focus and concentration. It also helps with problem solving and organizational skills. 

6. Coloring utilizes both hemispheres of the brain, right and left. When we are thinking about balance, color choices, applying colored pencil to paper, we are working on problem solving and fine motor skills.

7. This is another method of practicing mindfulness, which has therapeutic and health benefits. This can help us replace negative thoughts with positive and pleasant ones.

Here’s a sample of the “artwork”. I am definitely a color in the lines kind of gal. Some people outline the shape and then fill it in. I just go for it and color inside the lines – very carefully.

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For all you coloring enthusiasts – happy coloring!

For those who haven’t tried it, you should give it a go. It’s a little stressful at first – the amount of details on the page can be overwhelming, but once you get into it, your mind (or mine anyway), calms down. I dig it.

….i choose this…..

Pam