You may be running out of creative ways to keep yourself entertained, especially with this final stretch of social distancing. And if you’re feeling a bit more stressed and antsy than usual, it’s time to pick up a childhood favorite: coloring books.
“Coloring books have been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation due to their inherent qualities, such as the ability to remain present and focused on the image and provide temporary relief from life stressors,” Martha Dorn of The Art Therapy Project, a nonprofit organization in New York that provides art therapy to trauma survivors, previously told Shop TODAY.
While Dorn noted that coloring books are not art therapy, she pointed out the therapeutic qualities of the books and their ability to help relieve stress. “Similarly, the images in coloring books are premade, so the creative energy is placed into the catharsis of repetitive coloring strokes to complete the image,” she explained.
To help ease your mind and help relieve stress during these trying times, we rounded up some of the best adult coloring books. Sit back, relax and enjoy a little creativity!
Best coloring books for adults
This book is full of soothing patterns and simple prints that you can mindlessly fill in without feeling overwhelmed by the intricacies of staggering designs offered in other books.
While we’re sure any coloring book can help alleviate stress, the designs in this one were designed to reduce stress. Just pick up your favorite colored pencils and enjoy!
This coloring book is a tad more R-rated, but sure to bring on some laughter. It’s filled with funny illustrations that include insults and yes, “bad” words.
If you’re less interested in laughing and more interested in self-soothing, this relaxing coloring book for adults is for you. Switch off and let your creativity loose in the flow of floral illustrations!
The next best thing to drinking coffee is coloring it! This book is perfect for coffee lovers — it’s filled with endless pages of arabica beans and coffee-related things. Sadly caffeine-free, this book is bound to calm you down when you need it.
What’s better than having a “Harry Potter” movie marathon? Relaxing with a “Harry Potter” coloring book while watching all of your favorite movies!
This adult coloring book by Johanna Basford, who is known for her intricate designs, will take you beneath the waves and deep into the ocean. Each page includes beautiful illustrations of exotic fish, coral reefs, barnacle-studded shipwrecks, pirate treasure and more.
Another creative and fun option from Basford is her classic Enchanted Forest coloring book. The whimsical adult coloring books is a fan-favorite due to its quality pages and beautiful prints.
This calming coloring book is chock-full of fun illustrations and “lovely images to set your imagination free.” You’ll feel relaxed and fresh in no time.
Although the title may seem family member-specific, this book is full of the “clean” versions of foul words that are sure to get a good chuckle out of you. Just grab your favorite coloring pens — and a glass of wine — and relax!
This adult coloring book is a perfect pick for animal lovers. It’s full of many intricate designs, so it might bode well to use this one if you have the time to dedicate to coloring in the lines.
For more stories like this, check out:
To discover more deals, shopping tips and budget-friendly product recommendations, download the new TODAY app and subscribe to our Stuff We Love newsletter!
This article was published on Aug. 2, 2019.
COLORING BOOK FOR ADULTS 50 UNIQUE ANIMALS IN MANDALA STYLE
(Volume 2)
Take a little break to relieve stress and boost your creativity with a variety of animal and flower mandalas to color!
As a part of art therapy, nowadays it is widely recognized that coloring of mandalas is an effective way to find one’s inner balance and escape from the hectic everyday life. Find your inner peace and balance while coloring the complex shapes (mandala art). Experience unique moments with a special adult coloring book.
This coloring book for adults offers:
-
50 beautiful animal and flower mandalas to color
-
Dark, textured back pages prevent tracing
-
Varied motifs on contrast pages (dark motif background), 3D pages (motifs look more vivid), …
-
Coloring supports relaxation and stress reduction and resembles soothing meditation
-
Coloring book with soft cover in square format (8.5 x 8.5in)
-
Templates with medium to high complexity
Interested? Then take a look inside the book and convince yourself of our concept.
(For mobile devices, please set the desktop view in the browser, then the look inside feature also works).
Press “BUY NOW” and let yourself be carried away into the world of animal mandalas and forget the worries of everyday life!
Adult coloring books have flooded shelves everywhere in the last few years. From grocery stores to your favorite online retailer, these books — with their empty patterns of mandalas, animals and floral designs — seem to be everywhere. But what makes them so popular?
Advertising Policy
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
Many books tout the benefits of coloring — a thing kiddos have known for ages. Coloring can help you channel your inner artist, de-stress and bring a sense of peace. But is there truly a benefit to coloring for adults? And what does this pastime do to our brains to bring about such pleasure and calm?
According to clinical psychologist Scott M. Bea, PsyD, it has everything to do with refocusing our attention.
“Adult coloring requires modest attention focused outside of self-awareness, Dr. Bea says. “It’s a simple activity that takes us outside ourselves in the same way, cutting the lawn, knitting or taking a Sunday drive can all be relaxing.”
What does adult coloring do to relax people?
Dr. Bea cites three reasons adult coloring can be calming:
- Attention flows away from ourselves. A simple act, such as coloring, takes your attention away from yourself (and those things that are stressing you out!) and onto the present-moment event. “In this way, it is very much like a meditative exercise,” Dr. Bea says.
- It relaxes the brain. When thoughts are focused on this simple activity, your brain tends to relax. “You’re not disturbed by your own thoughts and appraisals,” he says. “The difficulties of life evaporate from your awareness, and both your body and your brain may find this rewarding.”
- Low stakes make it pleasurable. Go ahead: color outside the lines! The outcome of coloring isn’t predictable or prescriptive. It can be as neat — or as messy — as you choose, and this is one of its relaxing perks. “It is hard to screw up coloring, and, even if you do, there is no real consequence. Adult coloring can be a wonderful escape, rather than a demanding test of our capacities,” he adds.
Why does it help some people but not others?
Adult coloring doesn’t relax everyone. Whether or not you enjoy coloring depends a lot on your prior experiences. Dr. Bea suspects that if you enjoyed coloring as a child, you likely will enjoy it as an adult.
“Adults typically choose forms of activities they loved as children for their adult recreations,” he says.
Is there research to support it as a form of relaxation?
Research on adult coloring specifically is limited, as it has risen in popularity relatively recently. However art therapy has been used for many years with much success.
In a 2006 study, researchers found that mindfulness art therapy for women with cancer helped to significantly decrease the symptoms of physical and emotional distress during their treatment. Art therapy has also been helpful to people coping with other conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and trauma.
In a more recent study, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of coloring a complex geometric design, like a mandala, on reducing anxiety with a group of undergraduate students. The results showed a decrease in anxiety levels for the students and suggested the practice created a sort of meditative state that is beneficial for reducing anxiety.
“While adult coloring may differ slightly from mindfulness art therapy, I suspect the adult coloring would yield similar results. It is likely that its therapeutic benefits would be similar to listening to a person’s favorite music,” Dr. Bea says.
Why has this become popular now?
Having hobbies to help de-stress is nothing new, whether people like to golf, cook, build model airplanes or put together scrap books.
But with the current state of daily life with COVID-19, and so many uncertainties looming in the distance, coloring might just be the ticket to help you unwind and re-center.
“We have a very stress-inducing culture, and I think individuals are always seeking new ways to reduce tension, restore feelings of well-being, and reduce the toll that our stressful lives take on our health,” Dr. Bea says.
Adult coloring books can also improve your focus level. Coloring activates your frontal lobe , which means that your brain is organizing and problem-solving. Regular coloring sessions allow you to relax from the day and focus on one thing.
6. Reduces Anxiety
Studies have shown that coloring can reduce anxiety in adults. Coloring for 20 minutes or more is an effective way to lower your heart rate and decrease feelings of anxiety. In the studies, coloring more intricate designs like mandalas was more effective than coloring in a plaid pattern or blank page.
Other benefits to coloring that affect your anxiety include:
- Mood improvement
- Enhanced mindfulness
- Reduced mental health stress
If you need more help than just coloring, you can turn to a creative practitioner or art therapist to help with your anxiety, stress, or other mental health conditions.
By coloring, you’re helping more than your mind relax and function better. You’re also helping your body. The stress relief from coloring helps reduce the anxiety you’re feeling. When you relieve stress and tension from your body, you may decrease your risk of:
- Body aches
- Sleeping problems
- Fatigue
- Depression
Coloring isn’t going to cure your anxiety or depression, but it can reduce the levels of anxiety and stress that can lead to depression. If coloring is an activity you enjoy, then you should practice it regularly.
