This spring semester is in full force with due dates and deadlines around every corner. Finals are approaching fast, and with at least a twelve-hour class schedule on top of work (if you have it), and balancing friends and relationships, the stress begins to pile high. If you’re like me then you’ve turned to music, binge watching Netflix, sleep, and even eating buckets of chocolate to try and reduce your stress, but of course to no avail. Well, my fellow collegiettes, we are in luck!
Throwback to kindergarten when times were simple and our greatest worries were not being “it” on the playground and staying in the lines on our coloring pages. Those were the days. Although coloring books typically only matter to us when we’re babysitting the kids next door, they are making a huge comeback and for all new reasons: they’ve proven to be the latest trend in reducing stress in college age students and even adults.
Just like turning to music while coping with stress, coloring takes an individual’s mind off of the problems they are encountering. As an art major myself, I’ve always found being creative and crafty to be relaxing, as it allows me to express my feelings and emotions through illustrations, color, and sometimes a little bit of text. I tend to keep a journal as well, but when words fail, coloring, drawing, or sketching is my go to.
Doctors and scientists all around the world are delving into the world of adult coloring and testing results show that it has proven to help in combatting dementia, anxiety, depression, and even PTSD. So why does it work? When an individual begins to color, their mind and thoughts are taken off of whatever is creating the stress and is placed onto the subject that they are coloring. Often, this activity results in negative thoughts being replaced with positive ones. Many students use coloring to help them to improve their focus and concentration in class, increase their attention span, or to just unwind after a long day at work or school. Medical facilities around the world are beginning to include art more and more in their treatment plans for patients of all sorts, and so far, it’s been successful to some degree.
As far as my experiences go with adult coloring books (and I own about 6), they’ve done nothing but help me. Next time you’re feeling stressed out (and I’m sure that won’t be too long from now), head up to the Barnes and Noble on campus to start a coloring book collection of your own!