When adult coloring books came on the scene a couple of years ago, I was all about it. I’m a big fan of anything that gets more people creating art of any kind. Once in a while I’d take out a coloring book if I didn’t have another craft project in the works, but it wasn’t until recently that I started coloring regularly for meditation and it. is. working.
A few weeks ago I made the conscious decision to get off screen and stare at my phone less in the evenings. Right before bed I always found myself mindlessly scrolling through Reddit or Instagram, for a LONG time. I was having trouble falling asleep and staring at your phone before bed doesn’t help. The blue light from your screen effects your brain’s natural melatonin production, so your body doesn’t know its time for sleep. Here’s a great article on using your phone less before bed.
So we’ve decided to use our phones less in the evenings, but now what?
In a perfect world I want to be the person that meditates before bed, but I just can’t (at least not yet). My mind is too restless, so I NEEDED to replace staring at my phone with another activity. I turned to a coloring book my mom gave me for the holidays, “Color Me Happy” by Lacy Mucklow, illustrated by Angela Porter.
The first few days coloring wasn’t as relaxing as I had expected. I have a bit of an OCD personality, so it took a real effort not to try and be perfect, and not to finish a page the same night I started it. It took a few days, but while coloring with the intention of relaxing I started to feel the positive effects. Things to think about when coloring for meditation:
Don’t attempt perfection, its OK to slip outside the line.
You don’t have to finish, color until you feel relaxed, then its time for bed.
Use whatever colors make you happy, don’t stress about choosing a perfect palette.
Coloring started to feel more and more like meditation, and I could feel it reducing anxiety & stress. This article will explain more of the therapeutic science behind coloring.
After a week, I was definitely falling asleep faster. When I started to get tired, it was easier to put down the coloring book than it had been to put down a phone because I felt more relaxed and less restless. Coloring as meditation before bed has definitely become part of my regular routine.
Do you think you’ll incorporate coloring as meditation into your regular routine? Leave your favorite coloring books in the comments or share with me on Instagram @jessiekatzgreenberg !
