The psychology of... colouring

Colouring is an activity many of us will associate with children. As a child I LOVED colouring and considered myself somewhat of an expert - never deviating outside of those lines. I was so good that I won first place in an esteemed colouring competition - for a local travel agency. I'll gloss over the fact that my mother permitted me to enter in to an age category I was too old for...

Colouring for adults is a bit of a craze at the moment. Just take a look at the number of colouring books available on the market, and at the time of writing there are two in Waterstone's top 20. Even my parents have bought into the craze. Somewhat. My Dad had given it a good go but commented that "it's quite a slow process" and "it takes ages to complete"; clearly not a person bought into the benefits.

Slowly but surely

As a Psychologist I instantly wanted to know more about the merits of colouring and whether the claims of soothing anxiety and eliminating stress were in fact based on sketchy (sorry!) evidence, at best.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is a useful relaxation technique and it allows people to remove themselves from the chaos of daily life. It focuses the mind and provides an outlet for creativity. Some Art therapists have even claimed it is a form of mindfulness, which focuses people on a specific activity rather than on any sources of anxiety.

Cathy Malchiodi, an Art Therapist and Psychotherpist, argues that colouring is not mindfulness, and goes on to suggest that for some it may actually lean toward obsession, "reinforcing the need to complete all those designs in all those books you purchased." 
I do find it difficult to accept such bold claims of eliminating stress - a colouring book will not eliminate stress; identifying and removing the root cause of stress will eliminate stress. The same goes for anxiety. At best, colouring is a sticking plaster solution.

Despite the mixed evidence, I have found colouring to be relaxing, fun, and a good distraction from all the thoughts I have running around my head. I've enjoyed reminiscing about my childhood colouring experiences and will probably continue colouring to the point of obsession. Yep, I'm one of those people.

I've bought two different colouring books and a set of new pencil crayons to set me on my way...

 

I'd love to hear others' experience of colouring and any perceived benefits. Can it really provide a form of mindfulness or is it just a short-lived relaxation craze?

S

xoxo