Coloring is an activity that we tend to associate with children. As
we grow older, we put aside our crayons and colored pencils in favor of
more respectable writing utensils like pens and highlighters. However,
it turns out coloring can be beneficial for adults -- namely for its
de-stressing power.
The practice generates wellness, quietness
and also stimulates brain areas related to motor skills, the senses and
creativity. In fact, publishers have lately been launching
coloring books specifically for adults. The trend is alive and well in countries in Europe and North America. Most recently, in Spain,
the publication Espasa published Coloréitor, with illustrations by well-known cartoonist Forges.
Does Coloring Really De-stress?
One of the
first psychologists to apply coloring as a relaxation technique was Carl
G. Jüng in the early 20th century. He did this through mandalas:
circular designs with concentric shapes similar to the Gothic churches’
rose windows. They have their origin in India.
When coloring, we activate different areas of our two cerebral hemispheres, says psychologist
Gloria Martínez Ayala.
"The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and
creativity, when mixing and matching colors. This incorporates the areas
of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills
[coordination necessary to make small, precise movements]. 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."
In simplest terms, coloring has a de-stressing effect
because when we focus on a particular activity, we focus on it and not
on our worries. But it also "brings out our imagination and takes us
back to our childhood, a period in which we most certainly had a lot
less stress." This leads us immediately and unconsciously to welfare,
exposes the specialist.
"I recommend it as a relaxation
technique," says psychologist Antoni Martínez. "We can use it to enter
into a more creative, freer state," he assures. We can also use it to
connect with how we feel, since depending on our mood we choose
different colors or intensity. "I myself have practiced that. I
recommend it in a quiet environment, even with chill music. Let the
color and the lines flow."
Coloring Books for Adults
In
countries like France or the UK, coloring books for adults are
bestsellers. The French publisher Hachette even has a collection called
Art-Thérapie
with twenty de-stress volumes including all kinds of drawings from
books of butterflies and flowers to cupcakes, graffiti and psychedelic
patterns. There's also the book
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book (M & E Books) that has snuck into top selling lists.
In
the United Kingdom the books of illustrator Mel Simone Elliot are
popular. She lets you color celebrities like Ryan Gosling, Lady Gaga,
Beyonce and Kate Moss in her series
Colour Me Good. And we can't forget the aptly named
Coloring for Grown-Ups, released by comedians Ryan Hunter and Taige Jensen in the U.S.
The trend has struck Spain too. The Spanish cartoonist Antonio Fraguas, or Forges, published Coloréitor,
"a de-stress book," its publishing house proclaims. The psychologist
Luis Rojas Marcos says in the preface that "coloring comforts us, gives
us peace, and lets us enjoy ourselves -- it even temporarily frees us
from daily pressures... Although coloring a couple of hours does not
eliminate all problems and worries, it takes us away and relieves us
from the stress that overwhelms us."
If you've yet to try coloring
as a relaxation technique, Forges has dedicated the drawing above to
readers of The Huffington Post. He gave this tip for beginners: "Despite
how highly stressed you may be, the most important thing is to not use
pen markers with alcohol that go through the paper. The proper thing is
to use crayons."
You heard it here first.
This article originally appeared in HuffPost Spain. Translation by Isaura Camós Gibert.
