Not only does colouring have incredible benefits for your mental health, but it is also a fun and mindful activity to help you de-stress (which is something that might come in handy during busy periods).
But when you’re stealing minutes here and there for colouring, while so many other things are going on, you can start to feel lots of pressure and stress about making the most out of your colouring time. Instead of just enjoying it!
What can we do to make sure colouring stays fun and relaxing?
Although goals and challenges can help motivate you when you’re in a colouring slump, this might not be the best time to get involved with high-pressure activities like these. Having to complete a certain number of pages in a certain number of days, or sticking to a strict colour scheme, is going to add unnecessary stress to your colouring. Keep it simple, and just colour what you feel like colouring!
I don’t know about you, but when my space is messy, I can’t seem to concentrate on anything! Give your desk a quick tidy, go through your issues of Colouring Heaven and make a note of pages to colour, and coordinate your colouring pencils. You’re sure to feel refreshed and excited to colour afterwards. Tidy home, tidy mind, happy colouring!
This one sounds a bit backwards, but if colouring is starting to stress you out, it may be a good idea to take a few days away from your colouring desk. Let the stress melt away, and you’ll notice you quickly start to feel excited about getting back to your favourite hobby. During your break, try to spend some time outside, eat healthily and exercise, and make sure you get plenty of rest – staying healthy will have positive benefits on all aspects of your life.
Social media can create a lot of unrealistic expectations and high standards for lots of things. And this is true for colouring, too. It’s all too easy to compare your pages to the drawings of experienced illustrators, especially when you’re just starting out. But this can quickly stop colouring being fun, and add a lot of pressure and stress.
Rather than comparing your work to other people’s pages, we recommend looking at some of your older colouring pages and seeing how far you’ve come and how much you’ve improved! And if you need to, take a little social media detox – our friendly colouring community will be there to welcome you when you’re ready to return.
In our lovely Friends of Colouring Heaven group, many people like to find a colouring buddy to colour along with! Whether you pop out to a cafe and have a chat while you colour, or just support each other virtually and provide tips and suggestions online, having a colouring buddy can be a good reminder that colouring should be fun!
Don’t know anyone who colours? Join our Facebook group and we’re sure you’ll be able to find a lovely colouring buddy there!
Getting frustrated with shading? Pull out the felt tip pens and just colour between the lines. Sick of sketching away with colouring pencils? Grab a watercolour palette and experiment with painting. Sometimes trying something new can shake you out of a colouring slump – and you can experiment and learn new things at the same time!
You could even take this one step further and try a hobby adjacent to colouring. Maybe give drawing a go, or take on some crafting projects. Stretch those creative muscles while taking the pressure away from colouring.
Our friendly colouring community is full of amazing people who understand the power and benefits of colouring – but sadly we know not everyone has this mindset. But if colouring is something you enjoy that makes you happy, that’s the only thing that matters at the end of the day, so just focus on yourself and your enjoyment of colouring.
Even our favourite hobbies can quickly become sources of stress if we put too much pressure on ourselves. But colouring should be a source of mindfulness, relaxation and fun – not stress! Try these tips to help make colouring fun again, or read all about how to colour more mindfully.
Download two free colouring pages for World Mental Health Day.
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