Adult Coloring Books for Mindfulness, Stress Relief & Emotional Wellbeing

Anti-Age Your Face With Your Mind With This Dermatologist-Invented Beauty Tool 

Adult coloring books serve a higher purpose than just being a past-time. Art therapy has proven benefits in calming stress states, providing relief from anxiety and negative emotions like anger. But how are adult coloring books beneficial for anti-aging, or rather, well-aging?

In Dr. Teo Wan Lin’s research paper on the Brain-Skin Connection published in the International Journal of Dermatology in 2021 “ On Thoughts, Emotions, Facial Expressions and Aging”, she proposed that our approach to anti-aging interventions must shift.  Aging well or a pro-aging approach is a holistic intervention that includes nutraceutical and lifestyle interventions.  Above all, she suggests that based on psychological studies, emotional wellbeing is reflected in our faces, affecting how we are perceived by others.

The latest dermatology research is also clear that the aging exposome concept comprises lifestyle factors like stress. This means that psychological stress directly increases oxidative stress, which leads to free radical damage and accelerated aging. Those who suffer from acne, eczema, rosacea and other long term dermatological conditions know that stress directly affects their skin, causing flare-ups. This is because stress suppresses the immune system response. All dermatological conditions involve the immune response. This is why you find that whether you have acne, eczema or rosacea, your skin flares up. 

Adult Coloring Book Series Designed for Practical Mental Wellness 

With all the stress going on everyday, how difficult is it to de-stress, as if it’s possible at all?

The key here is this, there are methods that directly bring our minds to a state of quiet relaxation. For different people, their favorite past-times or hobbies may induce that state. But, I am so busy I don’t even have time to have a hobby! You may find yourself, as a working professional, struggling with “time”. We are busy, but we never forget to eat.. think of it this way, mindfulness is a form of “brain gym”  we should work out our minds the way we do our bodies and even spend time on a skincare routine. Mindfulness is a technique in use with cognitive behavioural psychology as a tool for calming the mind and emotions. Various psychological states i.e depression anxiety can benefit from practice of mindfulness. 

An Adult Activity Book for Mental Wellness

While we may not be clinically depressed or anxious, the key here is our predominant psychological state-our emotions eventually affect our aging face. This is why botox injections have been found to impact mood disorders when you lose your ability to frown, even for a few months. Apparently the muscles of facial expressions affect your psychology and vice versa. Hence, mental wellness is an important aspect of inside-out beauty and well-aging. 

Beauty Begins In The Mind

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is defined as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present, non-judgmentally to the unfolding experience”.¹ 

Stress and the Skin: Mindfulness Coloring for adults 

What is the link between stress, mindfulness and the skin? 

Those that suffer with dermatological conditions have higher rates of depression and anxiety in comparison with the general population. For example, people with psoriasis have reported high levels of mental distress and worrying about their appearance. Similarly, those with psoriasis and atopic eczema were found to have higher rates of anxiety. In addition, patients with acne have been found to experience depression, social anxiety, and increased thoughts of suicide. Increased levels of anxiety and depression have also been reported by people living with alopecia.² 

PHYGIART Adult Coloring Books for Relaxation

Adult Coloring Book Paperback: Available on Amazon KDP Direct Publishing 

International Orders on PHYGIART Store Printable Adult Coloring Pages 

What is the evidence that mindfulness is beneficial for skin conditions? 

Mindfulness interventions have been used with patients living for psoriasis with promising results. One study reported that patients with psoriases showed an improvement in skin clearing after using mindful meditations during light treatment, which was a result of stress reduction. Patients with psoriasis have also reported improved quality of life related to their skin as well as psoriasis severity following mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.³

How do I practice mindfulness? 

Journalling

Journaling is one easy way that you can start practicing mindfulness. “I often tell my patients with skin concerns to keep a journal as a way to keep track of their skin improvement from the time they start their treatment with cosmeceuticals. It is both an emotional and physical healing journey,” Dr. Teo Wan Lin, accredited dermatologist. Furthermore, several studies that used mindfulness intervention have incorporated some form of journaling. Where mindfulness interventions were in use, the group who received the mindfulness training consistently showed fewer depressive symptoms, and lower anxiety. 

Mindfulness coloring for adults

Another related way to practice mindfulness is through coloring. Mindful creativity is a good way to slow down, and focus only on the present. In addition, research has shown that coloring can induce a meditative state, that can help to de-stress and regulate emotions. 

 A 2014 study showed that drawing and mindfulness coloring for adults had been found to reduce negative mood states and actively serve as mood enhancers.⁴ One 2016 study examined the effects of art and mindfulness on trauma recovery. The study indicated that a combination of the two helped the participants build strategies to support resilience after extreme and traumatic experiences.⁵ 

Coloring is a non-competitive activity, there is no right way to color. This meditative exercise can stimulate your brain’s creative side, as well as provide a relaxing and fun way to improve mindful attention, creative cognition, and reduce stress levels.⁶ 

Coloring Books for Adults

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are those adult coloring books called? Are adult coloring books still popular in 2022? 

Adult coloring books are simply known as what they are. Notably, it is a distinct genre which features complex and intricate patterns that are not present in regular kids coloring books. Adult coloring came into the spotlight with several studies, albeit small, that showed benefits for those with anxiety and depression. It is a tangible method of self-care and does not require the presence of a therapist, compared to other forms of mental wellness tools. 

Are coloring books good for adults? How can adult coloring books help me?

Adult coloring books can help with inducing a state of mindfulness. It helps you to focus on the present, quieting the mind. This allows for reduction in stress levels, allowing better responses to worries and anxieties. 

Why are adult coloring books so detailed?

The mind of an adult is different from that of a developing child’s. It may be also the reason for enhanced states of stress, worries and anxieties leading to depression. We consider children naturally care-free simply because they live in the moment. Adults have a more developed awareness of danger and acquired personality traits which results in a higher chance of mental health problems. The level of detail is higher because of the way the adult brain processes information. The therapeutic effects of adult coloring are seen with increased duration of focus on the activity. 

Is coloring a form of therapy?

Absolutely. Coloring books are made not just for kids. Specialty adult coloring books for example are complex- requiring hours of focus to complete. This is a meditative experience that helps quiet the mind and induce relaxation.

Why does coloring help with anxiety? Do coloring books help depression?

Coloring has a direct effect on a part of the brain known as the amygdala, responsible for fear. Fear is the primary emotion driving anxiety. An irrational fear can be classified as a phobia. However fear can also be a natural emotion in psychologically sound people. Fear in those with anxiety depression or obsessive compulsive disorders can be incapacitating. This can mean an inability to function in daily tasks. While not everyone needs to see a psychologist or a psychiatrist if it does not qualify as a major disruption to their lives, one can benefit from having a regular therapeutic activity.

References:

1. Kabat-Zinn J. Full catastrophe living: using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness. New York: Delacorte, 1990.
2. Dalgard, F. J., Gieler, U., Tomas-Aragones, L., Lien, L., Poot, F., Jemec, G., Misery, L., Szabo, C., Linder, D., Sampogna, F., Evers, A., Halvorsen, J. A., Balieva, F., Szepietowski, J., Romanov, D., Marron, S. E., Altunay, I. K., Finlay, A. Y., Salek, S. S., & Kupfer, J. (2015). The psychological burden of skin diseases: a cross-sectional multicenter study among dermatological out-patients in 13 European countries. The Journal of investigative dermatology, 135(4), 984–991. https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.2014.530
3. Montgomery, K., Norman, P., Messenger, A. G., & Thompson, A. R. (2016). The importance of mindfulness in psychosocial distress and quality of life in dermatology patients. The British journal of dermatology, 175(5), 930–936. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14719
4. Smolarski, K., Leone, K., & Robbins, S.J. (2015). Reducing Negative Mood Through Drawing: Comparing Venting, Positive Expression, and Tracing. Art Therapy, 32, 197 – 201.
5. Ortiz, R., & Sibinga, E. M. (2017). The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 4(3), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/children4030016
6. Koo, M., Chen, H. P., & Yeh, Y. C. (2020). Coloring Activities for Anxiety Reduction and Mood Improvement in Taiwanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2020, 6964737. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/6964737