As well as being a fun and creative hobby, colouring can have amazing benefits for your mental health, including reducing stress and boosting your self-esteem. Mindfulness colouring can help you unlock these benefits and truly enjoy colouring – so how can you learn to colour mindfully?
Looking for colouring pages for mindful colouring? Take a look at our sister magazine, Mindful Mandalas.
Mindfulness and reducing stress is all about getting into a relaxed headspace. Making your colouring time a full sensory experience is a great way to do this. Whether that means lighting your favourite candle, using your favourite colouring supplies, putting on some music, or wearing a cosy item of clothing, these small actions can make a world of difference. Make it an experience, whatever that means to you!
Our lives are full of distractions, which at times can become quite stressful! Taking just ten minutes to colour without distractions can be fantastic for calming a busy mind. Turn off your phone or any screens and really focus on the colouring. How the pencil feels on the paper, the sounds it makes as you shade, the colours appearing on the page. It’s a great and relaxing exercise.
Breathing is another great tool in reducing stress and this can also be implemented into your mindful colouring routine. Pick a section of the page you’re colouring and as you are colouring it, inhale through your nose. Hold the breath for a moment, and then exhale through your mouth. Do this a few times as you colour and you’ll start to feel the stress melt away.
When the weather is nice, why not try taking your mindfulness colouring outside? The benefits of being out in nature, getting fresh air and going on a short walk are hugely relaxing and encourage mindfulness. Sit on some grass and feel the sun on you as you create something beautiful!
When you’re stressed, having a supportive community and people around you can make a huge difference. Invite your friends over for a colouring club, or get involved with our Friends of Colouring Heaven Facebook group to discover a virtual colouring community! This can be super fun and a great opportunity to talk to each other, offload stress and let them know you’re there for them.
The most important thing about mindfulness colouring is doing it in the way that you find most relaxing! Whether that looks like ten minutes of colouring at the kitchen table, or colouring on a video call with friends, find what works for you and remember to enjoy it.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like our guide to colouring for beginners, or learn how to keep colouring fun and stress-free in this guide.
Looking for colouring pages for mindful colouring? Take a look at our sister magazine, Mindful Mandalas.
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