Colour me Happy

Adult colouring books are popping up everywhere as the newest trend.  An activity I once loved as a child is now being promoted as therapy for adults.  With all the talk about colouring, it made me wonder what the benefits are in reference to self-improvement. 
These adult colouring books are similar in nature to Buddhist mandalas, with their detailed designs and patterns. The term Mandala is Sanskrit for “circle” or “completion”.  The mandala symbolizes the universe, cosmos, Life, and God. There is a sense of beauty in the complexity of the motif.

The famous psychologist Carl Jung (1875 – 1961) was the first to use mandala colouring books with his patients. He found colouring allowed patients to access the images and energy of their unconscious mind, which helped them in their spiritual and psychological growth.

The act of colouring helps you bypass your conscious mind (your left brain) and access your intuition (your right brain).  It is almost hypnotic to colour. Getting lost in colouring the patterns is a form of meditation for many.

Colouring is good for the brain. It is shown that the frontal lobe and cerebral cortex of the brain is stimulated when you colour.  Thinking about balance, colour choices, and applying colour pencil to paper helps develop problem solving and fine motor skills.

It is also found that colouring calms the amygdala (the fear center of the brain) allowing your mind to rest and relax. In other words, it is a stress reliever.

Colouring in the lines takes focus and patience. When I colour I am able to forget my worries for a while. Studies show that being able to live in the moment and be mindful of an activity is a critical skill in helping reduce stress and manage life’s demands.

From the information that I found, I now realize that colouring is beneficial to the brain, is relaxing, and is great to build coordination.
At the end of the day, colouring is healthy for you because it is fundamentally fun!

Sources
One Million Mandalas for you to create, print, and colour by Madonna Gauding
http://www.medicaldaily.com/therapeutic-science-adult-coloring-books-how-childhood-passtime-helps-adults-relieve-356280
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/emotionally-sensitive/2012/04/self-soothing-calming-the-amgydala/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/arts-and-health/201003/cool-art-therapy-intervention-6-mandala-drawing