Thought for the Day: The last couple of months have been extremely stressful for many people. Thanks to Mother Nature, snow storms have battered the northeastern states of the United States in rapid succession. Record inches of snow have left it's residents house bound, stir crazy, and exhausted from shoveling snow from driveways and roofs. The beginning of more spring-like weather, may help, although the forecast for this weekend is for yet one more slushy snow storm followed by a cold snap. Today's Psychology Tip may help those of you suffering from yet another snowbound Friday! It may surprise you, but pull out the crayons and start drawing!
Researchers have found that coloring can help reduce stress. When drawing, we activate both sides of the brain, stimulating both logic, creativity and pleasure, reminding us of positive aspects of childhood. Different colors help us express different emotions, which is another reason that drawing can be therapeutic and help eliminate stress. The repetitive motion and focusing on coloring also appear to produce a form of active meditation. Currently, there are many books coloring books created for adults. For an array of "Anti-stress gallery" of coloring books for adults take a look here.
If want a free sample mandala to try to color for relaxation, you can click here (http://www.colormandala.com/) and download an art project from a number of wonderful designs and see for yourself how it helps this weekend. Use crayons, not markers which will seep through the paper. Let your creativity flow. If worries enter your mind, simply tell yourself to let them go and keep on coloring. You can add some relaxing music to enhance the relaxation as well. I'd love to hear how it works for you.
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