I remember once during finals week early in my college career, the stress got to be too intense for me. I sat at a table at my school, surrounded by friends studying, and I pulled out a children’s coloring book.

A teacher from my program walked by and teased me for the “childish” past time, and I simply responded that I needed to relieve some stress before my next test, and that coloring was calming.

Coloring isn't just for kids

That was almost 20 years ago, and adult coloring is much more accepted now; you can even get coloring books without mermaids or princesses or superheroes because the science now backs up what I felt back then - coloring is calming, improves focus and sleep, and reduces stress and anxiety.

Adult coloring supports mindfulness and can act as a form of meditation. It can also be a positive alternative to mindless scrolling through social media or playing a game on your phone, giving your eyes a break from the screen.

Not only are you benefiting your eyes when you do this, but you shift from a place of consuming the culture and visuals around you to creating something, which is much more beneficial for your mental health.

Your local art store likely has several adult coloring books to choose from, or you can always find one online.

Try it out and let us know what benefits you see in your life!