The last few months have been very stressful as friends of mine can tell you. I also know other people in the community have been going through stressful times as well. One good thing about social media it does provide a way for people to support each other. Even a simple comment or encouragement can be very helpful.
Recently someone I know sent a message out that she was returning to a adult coloring event one evening at one of the local library branches. I sent a note of encouragement and added I might drop in and say hi as I did have books to drop off to the library. I received a reply back saying “great I’ll have some stuff picked out for you to color”. Now how am I supposed to say no to that. 🙂
In addition, I’ve been reading and hearing about how coloring for adults is now a thing. The number of coloring books I saw in book and craft stores over the holidays seems to confirm that as well. Supporters of adult coloring say it helps stress by making you focus on the coloring itself.
Well after spending an evening with a group of friendly people, I can say I understand it more now. Not to mention I left there much less stress and slept better that night than I had in a while.
Unlike other hobbies, I do which still require great levels of concentration, coloring requires a different more relaxed state. Much like a sewing or knitting circle, the conversations are a big part in a group setting. This can be therapeutic in its own way particularly as conversation and meeting people is good for the soul and the community. On my own I can easily see myself focusing on the drawing itself. In this way, I was able to get the other issues of the day out of my mind for a while.
I can see how some people have described it as a form of meditation. In many ways, it can do a similar thing to your physical and emotional wellbeing. Like any technique or tool, people will have differing levels of success. The reason for this is that we are all different people.
How is this good for productivity? It’s another way to take a break from intense tasks that can be tiring. Just like some people will go for a walk, play a game on their smartphone or other such activities, coloring is something that you can easily to in small chunks of time as well as devoting a larger amount of time when you need that break.
It’s something that is certainly worth trying. In London, there are several groups that meet in different locations. Facebook has a London Adult coloring page that is worth checking out.
My thanks to the folks of the Masonville Library group for putting up with my questions and sharing some very funny stories.