Coloring for Stress Relief
Update: I now create my own coloring pages that you can find on Patreon!
I am always looking for ways to ease the thump-thump-thump of Stress and Anxiety against the front door of my brain. There’s nothing better than yelling. “Go away, I’m busy right now.” and having them actually listen. The other day I talked about how it’s important to find either mindful or mindless activities that allow you to re-direct your energy and attention to something positive.
I’ve jumped on the coloring bandwagon! Who are we kidding? I’ve been on that bandwagon since Kindergarten when Corey Smith taught me how to color in the lines. Still, it’s been awhile since I pulled out my crayons, colored pencils, and markers and let my creativity go wild.
How long has it been since you had an afternoon of coloring for stress relief?
Yesterday morning, after praying at the Altar of Busy, for the last week, I printed out the Nurture Mandala, went outside on my back porch in my jammies, and let myself relax.
Why mandalas?
Mandalas originated in India and they are sacred geometric patterns that represent the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically. You’re basically coloring in the Universe. It’s a potent meditative experience.
It creates a path between yourself and the shapes and the colors and the movements of your hand on the page. Your mind tunes out everything except for the way your mind moves in a circle, coloring each little fragment, and what color you choose to pick up next.
You’re allowing yourself into this creative state that is meditative in nature. You’re inviting peace and creativity into your life. It turns your brain off but at the same time, it’s like turning up the volume or improving your reception, eliminating distractive feedback.
I definitely felt better after coloring in the mandala and I really want you to have that experience if you haven’t already! Give yourself a break, practice this self care, invite calming activities into your life. Here’s a free mandala for you to print out!
I’ve been trying really hard to keep up with colouring and, as I start my bullet journal, I’m trying to draw and colour mandalas in the pages – at least one large-ish mandala a month. I think everyone should take some time out to become a little more mindful, as difficult as it can be.
Sammy xo.
http://www.littlefickle.com
I’ve tried some color by number or paint by number apps and games online, and I like it. Maybe it doesn’t sound as creative as coloring with your own set of chosen colors, but I tend to be the type to overthink, intellectualize, and logic my way out of everything. Something that can turn my brain off by following a set of instructions step by step would be good for me. I’m the type of person who likes math, astronomy, physics, and other complicated things for fun, but it’s nice to turn your brain off sometimes. Having to think through things in my creativity also makes my brain unable to turn off, so even if it’s not very original, looking up specific instructions on different art projects to copy, like drawing tutorial websites, seems okay to me. I also looked up online some art therapy ideas or poetry prompts, and it’s interesting where that leads me. But right now, I want to turn my brain off, so I just do color by number stuff sometimes.