Experience With Mind-Body Practice: Adult Coloring

Blog Entry 1

What is adult coloring?

Map of Cornwall, England by Michael Drayton from Poly Olbion

    Coloring, as we know, is the act of applying color with crayons, markers, color pencils, etc., to pictures and was originally used for artistic training, fine motor skills, creativity for the mind, but also to bring life to things with color, such as maps of countries (Fabry, 2017, para. 2-3). Coloring books originated as simple line drawings intended for children as early as the 17th century (Anderson, 2024, para. 3). One example of these early coloring books is a poem by Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion, published in 1612. As time progressed, coloring became very popular, and adult coloring books were created as early as the 1960s. These early adult coloring books typically featured satirical content that addressed societal norms and aspects of corporate life (Anderson, 2024, para. 3).

Excerpt from the "Executive Coloring Book" by Brenda Jackson et al.

    Not too long after adult coloring books became a trend in the early 2000s (Anderson, 2024, para. 4), and now consisted of intricate illustrations of practically anything, such as flowers, people, places, etc. Coloring books of this time are more complex with designs that require focus and attention to detail, such as mandalas. As a result, adult coloring became an activity to reduce stress and anxiety, or as we know it, a mind-body practice. 

Why is adult coloring considered a mind-body practice?

    Adult coloring, as I said before, is more than just for fun; now it's a way to achieve mental and emotional stability. Mind-body practices are defined as a group of techniques or procedures that target mind-body interactions to promote health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [NCCIH], 2025). Thus, adult coloring is a mind-body practice because when you color, some parts of your brain's cerebral hemispheres are activated, resulting in a meditative state, improved motor skills, improved focus, improved sleep, reduction of anxiety, and relief of stress (Taylor, 2021). 

Mandalas adult coloring 

    When you're coloring, you're focused on color choice and staying within the lines, making you only think about the present and quiet your inner dialogue, removing negative thoughts and emotions (Taylor, 2021). Also, when you're focused on coloring, your frontal lobe is activated. Your frontal lobe plays a key role in thinking and reasoning, regulating emotions, motor functions, and memory. Therefore, when you color, your frontal lobe is becoming more stable, allowing you to concentrate, organize, and reason. This can be very beneficial for individuals with ADHD. According to Heidi Moawad (2024), engaging in mind-body practices, such as adult coloring, can help promote the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates bodily functions during rest and relaxation, leading to reduced stress and anxiety. When relaxed, your blood pressure and heart rate decrease, and breathing becomes normal, which helps with anxiety. Additionally, as your body enters this state of relaxation or meditative state, your pineal gland releases melatonin naturally, allowing you to sleep better (Taylor, 2021). Adult coloring can also reduce cortisol levels, which is the hormone responsible for the body's stress response. Lower cortisol levels boost immune function, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, and increase mental sharpness and cognitive function (Davidson and Hobbs, 2024).

    It is clear that adult coloring is more than an activity you do when you're bored, but also an activity that can be very beneficial to the human mind and bodily functions. I believe a lot of people label coloring as childish, which I used to if I'm being honest, but I now believe that a lot of people should try adult coloring or other mind-body practices when feeling overwhelmed or stressed. 

Why I chose this mind-body practice

    I chose adult coloring as my mind-body practice because I actually used to be fond of coloring before I knew that it was a mind-body practice. I don't color anymore unless it's required in an assignment, such as this one, but I would like to get back into it. I want to start back coloring not only for the mental benefits it brings, but also to experience the changes my mind and body go through as I'm doing this mind-body practice, and to compare the difference in my mental well-being before and after. Now that I know what it can do for your mental and physical health, such as relieve stress and anxiety, improve focus abilities and fine motor skills, help you sleep better, etc., I think it will be interesting to do and experience.

    My mom used to color out of coloring books with complex illustrations all the time, and I made fun of the fact that she did it so much. I thought it was weird she liked to color at 40 years old, but oddly enough, every time I did say anything about her coloring, she would always tell me she uses it as a coping mechanism for stress, for she stresses a lot about things she can't control. Now that I know there are tons of studies proving her claims that adult coloring is a stress reliever, I would love to start coloring, for I too struggle with always being stressed, especially as a college student. I don't think I have anxiety, but I have moments where my nerves are really bad, and my hands shake uncontrollably, and I never know how to get it under control, but I think adult coloring could help me in moments like these to put my mind and body in a relaxed state. When I'm stressed or just in my head too much, I usually read, but if adult coloring puts you in a meditative state where all negative thoughts and emotions are non-existent, it wouldn't hurt to add another mechanism to get out of my head or calm my nerves.

References

Anderson, C. (2024, October 14). What is adult coloring books?. Focuskeeper Glossary. https://focuskeeper.co/glossary/what-is-adult-coloring-books    

Davidson, K., & Hobbs, H. (2024). 11 natural ways to lower your cortisol levels. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-lower-cortisol

Fabry, M. (2017, August 2). National coloring book day: Who invented coloring books?. Time. https://time.com/4880819/coloring-books-history/ 

Lewis, D. (2015, December 29). Adult coloring books were popular (and subversive) in the 1960s. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/adult-coloring-books-were-popular-and-subversive-1960s-180957666/ 

Moawad, H. (2024, August 30). The parasympathetic nervous system and your health. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/parasympathetic-nervous-system-8687840

Taylor, M. (2021, August 11). Interested in coloring? 7 benefits of coloring for adults. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/benefits-coloring-adults

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2025, April). Mind and body practices. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/mind-and-body-practices