Last week was a stressful week. It was the last five days of Obama as President and the dread of a Trump presidency started to sink in. With all this stress, I decided to pick up an adult coloring book to see if they actually work in creating relaxation. And yes, I know that I am playing into the alt-rights portrayal of liberals as snowflakes with safe spaces and adult coloring books, but hey, it’s better to be conscious of your mental health than to be bullied by internet trolls.
The Experiment
In order to test the validity of adult coloring books I needed to induce stress and frustration. The best way to do this, I figured, was to watch the evening news for a full 30 minutes. I decided on ABC World News with David Muir in order to eliminate any bias associated with liberal or conservative news outlets. I ordered a Great British Bake Off coloring book (one of the most relaxing shows out there) and decided upon one image to color for the entire work week after the news, Monday through Friday.
Oh David, not even your handsome face can cushion the blow of a Trump administration
What Happened
Monday January 16, 2017
Top news stories:
- Rep. John Lewis boycotts the inauguration
- Winter storms continue across the US
- Outgoing CIA director warns Trump about Russia
Frustration level before coloring: 3/5
Frustration level after coloring: 1/5
This day wasn’t particularly too stressful, but coloring actually help my attention and focus more than I imagined. The 30 minutes flew by as if it were 5 minutes and all I was thinking about while coloring was what color I was gonna make all of the pies and pastries. And how delicious those pies and pastries must be of course.
Tuesday January 17, 2017
Top news stories:
- Barbara Bush and George WH Bush hospitalized
- Trump communications appointee resigns amid plagiarism scandal
- Trump receives record low approval ratings as incoming president
Frustration level before coloring: 4/5
Frustration level after coloring: 1.5/5
One interesting aspect about this foray into coloring was when I began I was starving and almost ordered a pizza. After I began coloring though, I was not hungry anymore and didn’t eat for over an hour after I was finished. I believe, like on the first day, this was because of coloring helping me to focus more. Again, the coloring was relaxing and helped me to forget for a second about our new president.
Wednesday January 18, 2017
Top news stories:
- Obama commutes Chelsea Manning
- DeVos cites grizzly bears as reasoning for guns in schools
- 18 million Americans will go uninsured if Obamacare repealed
Frustration level before coloring: 5/5
Frustration level after coloring: 2/5
It seemed like this day was filled to the brim with bad news. Every single one of Trump’s appointees said disparaging things about climate change, women’s rights and their own failures to disclose their finances. How could one forget to mention they had $100 million dollars just lying around? Nothing got my blood boiling more than DeVos confirmation when she said that guns should be allowed in schools to shoot grizzlies, that disabled students shouldn’t be protected by federal law and that she did not know she donated thousands to anti-LGBT groups. That being said, the coloring was a great distraction for the thirty minutes, but as soon I was done the bad news kept tumbling, in bringing back my frustration.
Thursday January 19, 2017
Top news stories:
- Trump inaugural concert most boring, most cringe-worthy concert in modern history
- 2016 named hottest year on record even though Trump dismisses global warming
- Hundreds attend queer dance party outside of VP Pence’s house
Frustration level before coloring: 4.5/5
Frustration level after coloring: 1/5
Today’s news was a mixture of good and bad. Of course the biggest ticket was Trump’s concert but it made me feel happier knowing how sparsely attended it was and that his biggest draw was the guy who wrote “God Bless the USA”. That being said, my frustration levels didn’t last after coloring and it was a welcome distraction from what was happening in Washington.
Friday January 20, 2017
The day of Trump’s inauguration
Frustration level before coloring: 100,000,000/5
Frustration level after coloring: 3/5
To be honest I didn’t turn in to the news today. I already knew what was happening and did not want to be a part of it. I kept my tv off, switched off my wifi on my laptop, and kept my headphones on. Like in previous days, the coloring definitely helped to shift my focus and keep me calm as I was creating art, this day was just full of special circumstances and anxieties that would not go away easily.
They make adult coloring books for everyone. Even your pervy uncle
Did it Really Help?
In one word:yes. The coloring definitely helped to calm my frustrations and to keep me focused on creating art as opposed to pondering all of the bad things going on in the world. I found that I was paying less attention to things around me while I was coloring and that it was quite relaxing. As another positive, I found that it actually quelled my appetite, or at least made me focus on things other than food.
Will it Help Me?
If you find that certain things or people make you frustrated, then yes, coloring books will help you. Because I induced my frustration by watching the news I am unsure that coloring will help you cope with generalized anxiety that may be experienced at all times. However, if you need time to unwind and focus on other things besides your hectic life, then adult coloring books will aid you in that.
What Does the Research Say?
Research on the subject of adult coloring mainly focuses on the benefits to the brain as well as differences with art therapy. Psychologists have found that while coloring may not be as effective as art therapy in the treatment of major mental disorders, they have found four main benefits to adult coloring:
- Helps dementia and Alzheimer’s patients remain engaged with the outside world
- Can lower blood pressure (by decreasing stress)
- Trains your brain to focus better
- Helps people deal with PTSD and stress
Psychologist Stan Rodski, who has even authored his own coloring book, compares the effects of coloring to the effects of meditation. Like meditation, coloring allows us to switch off our brains and focus on what is at hand instead of the perils of everyday life.
Adult coloring books may also help in relaxation by replacing negative images and thought with positive ones literally:
“You have to look at the shape and size, you have to look at the edges, and you have to pick a color,” Pearson told Nine MSN. “It should occupy the same parts of the brain that stops any anxiety-related mental imagery happening as well. … Anything that helps you control your attention is going to help.”
Final Thoughts
If you have been thinking about picking up an adult coloring book but have passed due to embarrassment, time limitations, or disbelief in their effects just do it! Even taking just half an hour out of your day can ease frustrations, help you focus and keep your brain from eliciting negative thoughts. You can find adult coloring books practically everywhere for cheap, and you can create priceless advantages for your brain in the process.
Present Minded 
Great posts. You’re a very interesting person. Very. Talented. Steve
Sent from my iPhone
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Thanks so much for your kind words. I hope one day to have a career writing about psychology but I am not even sure such a career exists.
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