Simple stress relief by coloring books

February 23, 2016

Growing up as an American child, coloring books were a huge part of our daily routine. Little did we know that this was just a way for our parents to keep us distracted for a good hour or two.

Now, coloring books are making a huge comeback. Crayola, as well as many other coloring brands, have been coming out with new adult coloring books. These books are like typical coloring books, but they are meant for adults. The pages are filled with complex images for adults to fill in with various colors.

The books provide stress relief for adults. By coloring, it helps adults with their creative mind set and gives their mind a break from the real world.

“These books help all ages to unwind for a few minutes, or a few hours. By coloring in the books I have seen a major difference in my mood,” junior Maddie Meissner said.

I enjoy using the books. To me it’s like an escape from the real world. While coloring, I can make the page my own. It is a unique way of expressing yourself that is overlooked.

— Ryan Bump

However, these coloring books are not just meant for adults. Teens can use them, and have seen the same results happen to them.

“I enjoy using the books. To me it’s like an escape from the real world. While coloring, I can make the page my own. It is a unique way of expressing yourself that is overlooked,” junior Ryan Bump said.

These books come in multiple themes for one’s coloring pleasure. They range from animal themed all the way to mandalas. Mandalas are a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. Most students favorites come from the illustrator Johanna Basford.

“My favorite coloring book would have to be ‘Harry Potter: The Coloring Book’. This book is full of various scenes and characters from the series that help the books to come alive. A close second would have to be the ‘Lost Ocean’ book by Johanna Basford. It is full of interesting sea creatures and ocean life that are very entertaining to fill in,” sophomore Lindsey Purrington said.

Because the coloring books help with stress relief, many students found themselves coloring in them throughout finals week, mainly because the books help with focus.

“The weekend before finals I was cramming to get in last minute studying. I was so stressed out and didn’t know what to do. I read online that coloring helps to relieve stress, so I thought I would give it a try.” Meissner said. 

Many students have seen improvement in their grades and moods after using the books.

“I noticed I wasn’t as stressed out about my finals like previous years. Since I was no longer stressed out my study habits became better, I felt more focused. When I got my tests back I was amazed at how well I did on them,” Meissner said.

Just as an added bonus, once a page is finished, it can be used as art to decorate a room. It helps to put a personal touch on any wall.

“It’s nice how the pages you decorate can act as room decor. These books are a great way for me to express myself through art.” Purrington said.
Whether buyers are 6 or 60, coloring books are timeless ways to entertain the human brain. They come with fun and exciting ways for the user to relieve stress without feeling like they’re in a psychiatrist’s office. These books are on the rise, and do not receive as much credit as they should.

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Comments (9)

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  • C

    Craig SanisloMar 30, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    This article was pretty awesome because coloring books aren’t like a serious issue or event, but Erin made them interesting and exciting. Also, I thought the students’ comments on the coloring books were interesting and insightful.

    Reply
  • N

    Nathan NovotnyMar 30, 2016 at 7:01 am

    Nice article Erin. Really shed light on something that was completely unknown to me. Very interesting quotes as well, captured the feelings about these coloring books well. Might just have to try them out now after this.

    Reply
  • L

    Laura IlkkaMar 30, 2016 at 12:07 am

    This article was very interesting, it’s a topic a lot of students are unaware of! You did a great job of explaining what these coloring books can do for students using your words and well said quotes as well. Good job.

    Reply
  • J

    Justin HannaschMar 29, 2016 at 10:44 pm

    Very interesting article; I would have never guessed that coloring books could relieve stress on students. I thought you did a great job telling the details of what the story was about, and not adding too many opinions. The facts really shaped this story nicely.

    Reply
  • M

    Mikayla ErfMar 29, 2016 at 9:26 pm

    This article is really well written, it has an amazing flow and catches readers attention from the start and keeps them reading. It provides very informational facts and great quotes to support them.

    Reply
  • M

    Mary BurchillMar 29, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    The angle taken was interesting from your first sentence, it showed humor and a fun perspective. Along with that I loved the range of ages and genders to show these can help everyone and it was informal while still being extremely interesting. It showed a great way to deal with stress productively.

    Reply
  • A

    Alex SerierMar 28, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    This was a very Interesting article. I liked how it kept me engaged with the coloring books and it seemed kinda boring on the outside but the quotes were very good about stress relies how these books impact students and the angle I think was very good for taking a different approach to the article than I would have thought.

    Reply
  • R

    Rose StoebneMar 28, 2016 at 8:42 pm

    This article was really interesting because I know a lot of people who own coloring books. The quotes in this article were in-depth and were really supportive of the article and the statements the author was making. The article was well written and carried a consistent theme through out the article making it easy to read. The photo story was really good. The photos showed what type of books they are and examples of what the coloring pages look like, which helped the reader understand the article. Over all it was really good story.

    Reply
  • T

    Tiana MeadorFeb 26, 2016 at 8:56 am

    Erin, you did a very good job of showing how the new coloring book trend is helping students stay focused and less stressed. The article was to the point and I really liked the angle you took, rather than stating logistics, you focused on the social element. The only area for improvement that I would recommend is the first part seems to be heavy on the usage of the word “adult” other than that, well written and a smooth read.

    Reply
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