Embrace your Inner Child and Relax.

Colouring in has been scientifically proven to help you relax!  and it seems unlikely but it has become the next big thing in health. 

Five of Amazon’s 10 best-selling books are colouring in books for adults (does this mean while colouring in you can adult at the same time?)

Basically, when we are attentive; doing things such as studying which require us to engage in decision making and problem solving, we are using, beta brainwaves, which use up a lot of mental energy and our brains simply cannot function effectively in this mode for long periods of time. 

How does colouring in help?

Sometimes it is hard for our brains to move from using Beta brainwaves to alpha brainwaves – meaning sometimes it’s hard for us to switch from study mode to chill mode. Colouring helps us with this transition; basically colouring is mind numbing. It gives us a middle ground, a simple activity which gives the brain something to focus on, but it does not get bored and frustrated as there is no complex thinking or planning to do.  (Information has come from clinical psychologist Dr David Holmes interview with the Daily Mail)

As students there are so many pressures; we are expected to make money to support ourselves, go to university and study where we are effectively making a life decision about our careers, and make the most of our youth all at the same time (because who wants to wake up suddenly 30 with no crazy memories to show for it?). 

So in a time where we have so much to think about, it is also greatly important to take care of our mental health. 

Why not give colouring in a go!

It is a much better alternative to watching television; or any screen time for that matter – whether it is your laptop, phone or ipad. As these stimulate the brain and may cause you problems with getting to sleep and don’t properly relax you! (think about the electricity you will be saving too!)

Plus you don’t even have to pay for a colouring in book, print off a couple of pages off the internet of patterns or simple sketches for you to colour in. 

Or if you are really feeling it, these are a couple of the best-selling titles: 
The Mindfulness Colouring in book by Emma Farrarons 
Animal Kingdom by Millie Marotta

Happy Colouring, 

Devon.