When was the last time you decided to take some time away from work, screens and your daily worries to enjoy some colouring? Probably at a time when you didn’t have a lot of things to worry about!
As kids, we are taught that drawing and colouring helps develop cognitive skills, creativity and teach us about colours and shapes. As adults, although it’s always beneficial to be developing our creativity and brain power, we can find other benefits in sitting down with a set of pencils and paper to support of mental health and help practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness colouring was a buzz word not that long ago but the benefits still exist.
Reduce stress & anxiety
By focussing your attention to a detailed task, it discourages your mind to wander and think about things that may cause you stress and anxiety. A study published in the Creativity Research Journal also shows that colouring relaxes the fear centre of your brain, the amygdala. By relaxing this part of the brain it allows us to find clarity and relaxation, similar to meditation practice.
Improve motor skills
Developing motor skills isn’t just something we do as children. Our brain is a muscle and the more we use it in different way, the stronger it becomes. This is why we see colouring used as an activity with dementia patients. By being creative with colours but needing to stay within the lines, we are using both the left and right side of the brain.
Improve sleep
We all know the impact that too much screen time can have on us physically and mentally. Colouring is an engaging and active brain activity for you to swap screen time for, particularly in the evenings when we want to start to slow down for a better nights sleep.
Staying present
Concentrating on one calming activity, allows our mind to be present in the moment, which is exactly what mindfulness is based around. When focussing on one activity that doesn’t cause stress, it allows us to become more aware of how we are feeling physically and mentally in that moment.
Our very creative studio Manager Sarah has put together some of her favourite colouring in designs for you to try during your time at home. We would love to see them shared in our online community