A recent trend in the past several years reinvented the idea of coloring. What was once an infantile way to entertain a young child has now turned into a popular relaxation activity for people of all ages. Of course, coloring for adults is usually a big step up from crayon-smeared drawings of cartoon characters; many beautiful, intricate patterns and designs can easily be found online or printed on high quality paper in adult coloring books in a wide range of different stores. In addition, most adults utilizing this technique for relaxation and creativity trade the waxy crayons and chunky markers for more refined options of brightly colored pencils and watercolors. But even with the right types of materials, why should you spend time coloring? Here are some of the benefits reported by seniors who spent time coloring and relaxing according to goldencarers.com
- Coloring is a mood-lifter. After a few minutes of coloring a beautiful picture, you may find your mood lightening and a smile on your face!
- Bye-bye, stress. Stressful situations will dissolve away as your mind focuses on the picture in front of you.
- Express yourself. Even those who freely claim a lack of artistic talent can still enjoy expressing themselves in shapes, lines, and colors.
- Improvement in hand-eye coordination. It is always a benefit to practice new ways that your brain interacts with the rest of your body, and coloring challenges your brain’s neural connection with your hands as you fill in the pages with colors.
- Maintains dexterity and motor control. Gripping a pencil or paintbrush to trace along a shape is an excellent way to maintain and even improve your hand’s strength to grip and grasp, especially important as our bodies age.
- Goal accomplished! Okay, maybe coloring in a picture is not the highest priority on your to-do list, but there is still a sense of pleasure that comes when you look at your beautifully colored, finished page. And maybe it can become a new piece of art for your wall or a gift for a friend!
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