Today I’m going to show you how to master mindful coloring!
Yeah yeah, we’ve ALL heard that coloring can help us relax and there are mindfulness benefits. BUT does it really? How does that work? Does a “Relax” switch flick on in our brains as soon as we pick up a crayon? NOPE! Turns out it is up to you (the creative colorist) to make the selfcare happen.
In this super well-researched guide (I legit did a LOT of investigating to write this) I’ll cut out all the noise and show you exactly how to have the ultimate relaxing, mindful coloring experience. But remember, it is up to YOU to start this self help journey in coloring and start feeling better.
OK, coloring is the main part of this scenario. But if you want to have the ultimate de-stress experience we need to do a little prep work.
What is mindfulness anyway?
Mindfulness is a new idea incorporated in coloring books. It is a key feature that can help you destress. You don’t think relaxing is important? Consider that stress can lead to headaches, chest pain, fatigue, lower sex drive (GASP!), upset stomach and sleep problems. Not to mention anxiety, anger and depression – all symptoms of stress! If any of this sounds like you, maybe it is time for a mindful coloring activity.
Ok, cool you had a nice reminder about stress. But what is mindfulness?!
Mindfulness has enjoyed a remarkable increase in research and popularity in the past decade. (And mindful coloring has quickly followed.)
Jon Kabat-Zinn (the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine) described mindfulness as an awareness that emerges through purposefully paying attention in the present moment, non-judgmentally. <- BAM! Whip out THAT sentence at your next social gathering and strut your smarty pants!
This mindfulness definition cultivates the ability to be attentive and aware of the present moment in a non-evaluative way. Put another way: FOCUS ON ONLY ONE THING without any judging.
People may benefit from practicing mindfulness in reducing levels of anxiety, depression, fatigue, health-related quality of life, and stress. In other words, mindfulness helps you take care of yourself.
Perhaps there are ways of transforming any experience into a mindful one. And that is the segue we’ve all been waiting for to introduce: Coloring Mindfulness! BOOM! There it is.
Conventional mindfulness practices, such as breathing meditation, require concentrating fully on one aspect of the moment; in this case, the breath. Coloring mindfulness replaces the focus with coloring pages. That’s right. Coloring has just replaced breathing. Go with it.
One study investigated the effect of coloring on relaxation by recording physiological changes, such as heart rate. The study found a decrease in heart rate and provided some preliminary results on the effect of coloring and physiological health. (DeLue C. (1999). “Physiological effects of creating mandalas,” – I TOLD YOU I researched the heck out of this stuff to write this!)
Your First Step: Your first step is to create a mindfulness space.
This is WHERE you will color. The place where you can block out the world, calm your thoughts and bring down that high blood pressure (or help with those stress headaches, or unclench your teeth, etc.) This space is being made for your mental health with coloring fun as the focal activity to help you.
Here’s exactly how to do it:
First, ideally is a space just for you (pets like dogs and cats are the obvious exception). This place should be clutter free. No really! All those colorful art supplies need to be organized! Surfaces should be clean. This is a huge hurdle for the creative personality type who often feeds off of chaos. But you super duper absolutely have to do what your mom told you to do back when you were a teenager and “Clean your room!”
Next is the calming ambiance. Mindfulness activities are more effective in the right environment. Add a little life with a plant. House plants are a quiet presence that remind you of nature. If you’re like me and have a black thumb of doom that can kill the most hearty of “non-killable” cacti, you can opt for a lovely fake plant. No judging. Personally I’m partial to pre-made wildflower bouquets like THIS ONE. No fuss, no muss, just a lovely arrangement of flowers ready to sit in your creative space and don’t need watering. Did I mention I have a black thumb of doom?
Now it’s time to engage your other senses. Scent has a powerful effect on your mood. Scented candles and essential oils are your nostril’s best friend. Aromatherapy has been well-documented to help with anxiety and the top scents include: valerian, jatamansi, Lavendar and jasmine. I’m a huge fan of the Yankee Candle scent Lemon Lavendar. It brings out my inner calm with the lavender and the hint of citrus lemon keeps me awake and refreshed (this is calm time, not nap time). Not into open flame? I get it. Fire bad. Try this essential oil kit. I like that it is a set of three, so I can try different scents. So I you want to know how to be nice to yourself, be nice to your nose!
Finally, complete your space with an auditory treat. We are looking for a little self love for your ears! Before you enjoy your mindful coloring book, turn on a sound that helps you relax. The top soothing noises include: nature sounds, sound frequencies (did you know some types of sound frequencies can alter the activity of the brain?), classical music, and jazz. Remember, music with a slow tempo encourages the brain to sync with its beat – great for occasions when your mind rages uncontrollably.
At last your space is complete. Now you can start coloring!
First, do you have a coloring page at the ready? Maybe you have a favorite coloring book sitting on a shelf waiting for your creative talent. But sometimes you need something quick. Something like a digital mindful coloring page you can download HERE and NOW. Seriously, there are a bunch of hand-drawn coloring pages right here on this site you can download to color today. Find a mindful coloring PDF in the COLORING SHOP! Download an image that strikes your fancy to start coloring for an instant mindfulness and relaxation.
Next, prep your space. Turn on the soothing sounds and start the aromatherapy. This will help get you in the right mindset for mindfulness and prep for a moment of mindful living.
Finally, NOW you can color! While you’re being creative remember the definition of mindfulness. I discussed this earlier, but who really wants to scroll all the way back up there?! So here is it again: mindfulness as an awareness that emerges through purposefully paying attention in the present moment, non-judgmentally. That means you purposely focus on your mindfulness coloring. Only your coloring. And you don’t judge any part of your creative experience. Is that the write colored pencil? Yes! Is that the correct technique? Absolutely!
Did you absolutely rock that coloring page and forget about your daily stressors? You know it!
Thanks to this beginner’s guide to mindful coloring you don’t need to spend hours researching mindfulness techniques or self love ideas. You do not need to wonder how to get more relaxation out of your coloring experience.
As you saw in the guide, mindful coloring can help you destress. And stress is a major strain on your physical and mental health. Working on yourself, especially your mental health, can vastly improve all of this!
Now you have everything you need to become a master of mindful coloring!
Before you start your mindful coloring journey, make sure you leave a quick comment to let me know how you are creating your calm coloring space! Comment here OR tell me on social media and share! Below are my social links where you can find me and brighten up my day with YOUR creativity!
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