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Could colouring books for adults be a stressed out Pakistani's saviour? We find out

Could colouring books for adults be a stressed out Pakistani's saviour? We find out

Nope, colouring isn't just for babies anymore. Psychologists attest to its stress-relieving benefits
Updated 08 Apr, 2020

Remember when you were younger and a colouring book and some Crayola was your best friend?

No, right? Thank God because that would have been really sad.

Though you probably do remember that when the parental unit needed a little breather, they'd shove these items in your hands and you'd be distracted for a couple of hours. Well, who decided it was time for colouring book conquests to end?

It's just time for an upgrade.

A form of psychological nirvana?

If I went to a shrink a year ago to grapple with my stress and he told me to start colouring, I'd start wondering if him and I should switch seats.

As a 23-year-old juggling a full-time job with law classes, it's safe to say I experience my fair share of anxiety, cynicism and have zero time to go see an actual shrink. That's why I usually end up indulging in some retail therapy but that isn't too healthy for the soul or my wallet. I knew I had to find a substitute.

Two words: colouring books.

Although adult colouring has all the markings of a fad, it’s the therapeutic properties associated with the activity that's got these books flying off the shelves and that prove it's a bandwagon that's here to stay.

Staying inside the lines isn't as easy as it sounds.
Staying inside the lines isn't as easy as it sounds.

I'm not saying it's a cure for all your worries but rather an effective coping mechanism.

The fun exercise activates different areas of our two cerebral hemispheres, such as the ones involved in vision and fine motor skills.

Clearly, journalist Saher Baloch is much better at it than I am. Pro tip: don't be afraid of white space
Clearly, journalist Saher Baloch is much better at it than I am. Pro tip: don't be afraid of white space

Psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala states, "The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colour. The relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress."

A lucrative business

For an artist, creating a colouring book for adults right now could turn out to be a profitable venture.

Ilham Taufiq, the assistant marketing manager at Liberty Books shares, "Recently, in the last year since we launched adult colouring books in stores, we've seen an overgrowing demand for them. Teenagers and middle-aged women in particular always come in asking for these. There's two kinds of customers: one category is already aware and comes in asking for these colouring books and the other is those consumers who come in, see these on the selves and are intrigued."

At nearly Rs. 1000 a book, these still run much cheaper than a shrink —Screenshot of the Liberty Books website
At nearly Rs. 1000 a book, these still run much cheaper than a shrink —Screenshot of the Liberty Books website

She adds, "We have a wide array of interesting designs available like books that feature architectural designs, vintage floral designs to meditation drawings."

A no hassle hobby for the not so artistically gifted

An easy way to escape the everyday grind and take a breather from technology, colouring is a way to get away for a bit and reboot your brain. Yoga or hitting the gym can't be everyone's release and it feels good to do something meditative that's not purely meditation.

Colouring time can be mindful; I can sit down with the canvas in my lap, think long and hard about what colour combos I want to incorporate. And these ones are no joke -- the designs are intricate, you can't just use chunky crayons or blunt colouring pencils. High quality felt tip markers make all the difference.

My preferred weapons of mass distraction
My preferred weapons of mass distraction

Or it can be mindless. Either way, it gets me away from my phone and helps me disconnect, even if it is for a little while.

The best part? You feel creative without actually having created anything. Colouring will stimulate your imagination and take you down memory lane, back to your childhood, unconsciously leading us to simpler times.

Friday nights in never looked this good
Friday nights in never looked this good

The key to a good colouring session is an exceptional cup of chai or coffee, and being seated in a comfortable position. It takes a good while to colour one of these things in completely; a minimum of a couple of hours, if you want to be satisfied with the way you fill in the patterns and stay inside the lines, which is not easy as I remembered it.

And the thing that ties it all together is the background music. Here's what works for me in that department:

I can finally say I get it now.

Comments

M.Saeed Jan 27, 2016 05:15pm
Not a cup of tea for 95% of the stressed Pakistanis!
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Anees Jan 27, 2016 05:40pm
A good stress reliever. In fact here in UK there are quite few stress reliever colouring books available and it works as well. I do use these tactics with my staff to relieve stress.
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BRR Jan 27, 2016 10:58pm
Just do Yoga, for stress relief - millions world wide are doing it - costs nothing
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Bupi Jan 27, 2016 11:02pm
It's matter of thinking . Its Reallty truth remains truth . Or it's the way one takes.
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mehkan Jan 27, 2016 11:09pm
I can't believe someone actually posted an article on this. As an artist there is nothing that brings me more peace and make space in my brain for more intellect and creativity than painting or coloring. In fact lately I have been making meditation mandalas and coloring them. It is immensely helpful to take things off your mind and be at peace. Sometimes I make the best decisions when I am coloring. Believe me, Pakistanis need to let go off their stress. Once they are at peace within progress will happen.
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Pk Jan 27, 2016 11:21pm
People talk about money, cars and material things, not enough about art, sunshine, sea. Culture is so judgmental, people hold grudges, back biting it leaves sane people stressed out.
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DB Jan 27, 2016 11:58pm
My grandmother turned 100 years in November. Along with knitting, word puzzles, and reading, she is an avid adult coloring book fan.
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Alizeh Jan 28, 2016 08:19am
Yes I wastryingto get hold of colouring books by Janet Stephenson in england i didnt she does good colouring florals if liberty could get those please.otherwise I will try to get floral books thank you liberty.
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Maria Jan 28, 2016 08:52am
this is so true! colouring books are very therapeutic.
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tania Jan 28, 2016 09:37am
Why would it be 'sad ' if remember coloring from when you were a kid?
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Nida Jan 28, 2016 04:06pm
A very positive activity with stress relieving affects.
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Tanweer Khan Jan 28, 2016 04:26pm
I can see the logic of this for the middle-class educated rich (and probably retired) person. But seriously, most Pakistanis are struggling to put food on the table for their families. This is why they are stressed. Whilst it is no doubt very therapeutic, I can't see poor illiterate people in the villages (which is the majority of Pakistan) paying Rs 1,000 for a colouring book to relieve their stress. But on the wider note, you are right. I live in the UK, and this colouring craze has taken off here too. I might give it a go myself.
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Kanza Jan 29, 2016 12:23am
Really helpful
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Cyrus Jan 29, 2016 07:36am
Pakistan copies everything America does. Even coloring between the same lines.
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