I recently decided I wanted to start a new routine to prepare for bedtime and sleep, and I thought I’d see if coloring in a coloring book helped my brain wind down. (Coloring instead of looking at a screen right before bed, in addition to occasional short periods of yoga as part of my bedtime routine as well.) It’s only been a few days, but I’m already enjoying it tremendously and it may be helping me sleep better. Hopefully, possibly. :) One of the other things that I enjoy is occasionally coloring a postcard and sending a handwritten note to a friend. So coloring has several places where it fits into my life!
And of course I did what I do, which is to say I went looking for information about whether coloring books are good for health and yay! They are!
Coloring can be meditative and calming. Granted, some of the coloring books I own have pictures with excruciatingly tiny spaces to color, and while I enjoy them I wouldn’t call those specific pictures meditative. Focusing all of your energy on coloring specific spaces and not letting your mind wander off to the things that might be bothering you? It can be very relaxing. It can also be a very mindful activity, when you focus on it instead of thinking about everything else.
Coloring uses areas of your brain that enhance focus, problem solving, and organizational skills. Along that train of thought, if you focus on coloring for a time, while you’re struggling to figure something out, you might clear your mind enough for a solution to occur to you!
Coloring can help decrease anxiety levels. It isn’t the same as art therapy, however, focusing on the activity and being mindful of just what you’re coloring can be a good relief when you’re feeling anxious.
Coloring before bed instead of looking at a device such as your iPhone cuts down on blue light exposure and may help you sleep better!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to color before I sleep. :) Cheers! Here’s to your health!