
Adult coloring books?
- Katarzyna Lewis

- Jul 26, 2025
- 1 min read
🎨 Coloring Outside the Lines of Depression: How Adult Coloring Heals the Mind
When I was a child, coloring was a joyful pastime—a canvas for whimsy, imagination, and play. I’d sit for hours beneath a patch of sunlight, lost in the dance of crayon and paper. Today, it’s no longer just a childhood delight—it’s my personal escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. A quiet ritual. A soul-centering act. A form of healing.
What Coloring Does to the Brain

Coloring activates both hemispheres of the brain:
- 🧩 Left brain: Engages logic, focus, and fine motor control.
- 🎨 Right brain: Unlocks creativity, intuition, and emotional expression.
This dual stimulation induces a flow state—similar to meditation—where worries fade and the nervous system settles. Studies reveal just 20 minutes of coloring can reduce cortisol levels, slow heart rate, and ease symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Coloring as Emotional Alchemy

Depression can feel like being emotionally muted, like color has drained from the world. Coloring rekindles:
- Playfulness: The joy of choosing shades and breaking rules.
- Control: The freedom to create and express on your own terms.
- Release: Emotions spill into color when words won’t come.
Mandala coloring, in particular, has been shown to promote calm and balance—it’s sacred geometry meets therapy.
Mindfulness in Motion

Unlike passive distractions, coloring:
- Brings us into the present moment
- Encourages slow breathing
- Promotes self-compassion
There is no judgment here. No need for perfection. Just color, intention, and peace.




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