This blog is the ninth part in the series “Demystifying Mindfulness.” I’m hoping I can help us all understand a little bit more about the practice of mindfulness, how it can be helpful and how we can integrate it into our lives.
Adult coloring is all the rage. There are over 20,000 results just on Amazon for “adult coloring books.” You can get coloring books of cities, flowers, bugs, animals, mandalas, patterns and even, “amazing swirls.” Not to mention the fancy pens, markers and pencils available for adult coloring.
Adult coloring can:
- Help us release stress
- Unleash our creativity
- Remind us of our childhood when things maybe were a little easier
- Be meditative
- Get your mind off of things that are causing you stress
- Give you something to do
What’s great about coloring, say if you are coming to the cancer center for treatment, is that it is also fairly portable. You can easily pack you coloring book and markers/pencils in your bag for the day. It’s not TOO expensive. And, there are even free downloadable adult coloring pages available!
Adult coloring is a form of art therapy. Art therapy encourages the individual to express themselves, their feelings and their emotions. When coping with cancer, art therapy can help patients and caregivers by providing you with a different outlet for your feelings and emotions and may help you find meaning in the experience.
Full disclosure: adult coloring was not for me. I found myself way to focused on making it look perfect (i.e not coloring outside the lines!) for it to be relaxing. But, the key takeaway is that we can try lots of different things to find what helps us to be present in the moment and relax.
So, pull out those colored pencils and get busy! Who knows what artists we will release!
Christina is a clinical oncology social worker who joined the OncoLink team in 2014. Christina blogs about resources available to the cancer community, as well as general information about coping with cancer practically, emotionally, and spiritually. Christina is an avid knitter and spends a great deal of time posting pictures and stories about her three beagles, Linus, Maggie and Huckleberry. She also loves to travel, cook and is an avid Philly sports fan.