Have you heard? Coloring is the new meditation.
I posted on Facebook hunting for some new stress relief trips (it's been a busy summer, work-wise), and among the really thoughtful, creative suggestions I received was mention of adult coloring books. Have you noticed them in the best-sellers list on Amazon? Coloring books for grown-ups are having a moment.
I've got to say, I like the doodling -- I've never been a champ at meditating, and so far this is a really effective way for me to disrupt stressful or anxious thoughts. I'm keeping a little stack of pages, along with colored pencils, in a drawer of my desk at work for whenever my brain needs a few minutes' break. (I like to turn on the Penguin Cafe Orchestra station on Pandora, put a little lavender essential oil on my wrists, and color for a few minutes.) I'm not surprised it's working for me -- I loved coloring as a kid -- but I am surprised at how it's improving my mood overall!
Have you tried coloring to relieve stress? Would you? Visit the following sites to print out your own and give it a shot for free. (I also really like this bad-ass one.)
