Feeling stressed out and the opposite of Zen? You might want to take a page out of your kids’ colouring book!
According to Debra Close, positive psychology coach at Flourishing Mothers, colouring is an easy way to boost your wellbeing, and is especially handy for mums.
“It’s a fun and relaxing activity that’s not too demanding, yet gives us a break from everyday stresses of life. You don’t have to leave the house or spend heaps of time or money. Even just doing five minutes of colouring before you go to bed can help you sleep and feel better!” she says.
Here, Debra lists some of the many benefits of colouring:
[mc_block_title custom_title=”1. It’s a Great Alternative to Meditation”]
If you’re struggling to meditate or find emptying your mind too difficult, colouring is a great alternative. It’s an active way of meditating, helping you focus your mind on the present moment, allowing you to take a mental break from your internal chatter.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”2. It Boosts Your Wellbeing”]
Being engrossed and fully absorbed in an activity like colouring can give us a sense of “flow” or being “in the zone”. This is where we get a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment. Being able to be fully engaged in activities of our choosing boosts our wellbeing.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”3. It Makes You Smarter”]
We use both the left and right brain when we colour in, which means it requires logical thinking as well as creativity. Colouring also enhances your focus and concentration, so overall it can boost your creativity and improve your problem solving and organisational skills.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”4. It Can Reduce Anxiety”]
Colouring has been shown to have stress-reducing benefits and can help reduce anxiety. You see, colouring calms the amygdala, the part of the brain related to the fear/stress response. Some people report sleeping better when colouring for even just five minutes before bedtime.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”5. It Can Help You Bond With Your Kids”]
Although the mindfulness benefits of colouring are best reaped when doing it on your own, doing it with your children is a great way of encouraging them to be creative too and to bond with them. As a bonus, colouring in has the same calming and de-stressing effects on children, so it is a perfect way to wind down together in the evening.
Introducing Pilot Pop’lol Pens!
They’re pigment water-based ink formulated to create more intense and vibrant colours. Pop’lol pens glide on smoothly, are fade resistant and are incredibly vivid.
The ink has been designed to dry quickly and is smudge and bleed resistant, so you can focus on spreading joy, not smears.
Colouring book buffs will rejoice over the medium size 0.7mm rollerball tip, which makes intricate colouring-in and creative handwriting effortless.
For more information about the Pop’lol range of pens, head to Pilotpen.com.au
Want to give it a go? Thanks to our friend at Pilot Pen Australia and Harmony of Colour, we’ve got 7 mindfulness colouring-in packs to give away.
Each pack is valued over $70 and contains 16 Pop’lol pens, a new range of gel ink pens from Pilot Pen Australia, and two Harmony of Colour colouring books.
To enter, simply complete the entry form below and you could be in the running! Good luck!
GOOD LUCK!
209 Comments
Definitely a great stress relief!
Apart from being calming it takes me back to my childhood. The warming memories helps with my depression.
its fun and relaxing
I love sharing quiet and relaxing time with my girls.
Relaxing great stress reliever
It is creative and relaxing, nice to have something to focus on to help with being in the moment
Great way to relieve stress and get away from ‘screen time’.
A great way to get some quiet time, just to de-stress
Great for relaxation and some down time when my daughter is asleep
Relaxing, my daughter enjoys colouring in with me, shifts my focus 🙂
Relaxing and creative fun!
I am a colour conscious person and love splashes of colour as it brightens up the dullest day!
Time to relax with my beautiful daughter 🙂
De-stress and to practice re-focusing my mind to be in the moment
I love colouring in as i suffer from high blood pressure and find it helps relaxing me immensely
Coloring in is a nice relaxing activity that helps me to destress and switch off at the end of a busy day
As a mum with two autistic children, my personal wellbeings are important for my family. I love colouring with my two autistic children together. It really helps me to relax and sharing our thoughts during colouring time. This is very nice prize for everyone. Thank you very much.
Colouring in is relaxing.
I love that it gives me ME time
I love how relaxing it is and gives me a bit of a time out.
It great on a Wintery day with some music too
We love to just chill at night sometimes and enjoy time out with some colouring in, the kids just love these colouring books and we even have one in a frame it was so good, it calms the whole family
I block out everything else that is going on around me. Relaxing & de-stressing
its so relaxing, and takes me back to childhood.
I concentrate so hard on colouring between the lines I forget all my problems, for a while at least
I love how relaxing it is to colour in, I get some peace and me time and can express some creativity.
There has many document recommendations about colouring therapy benefits. It is really helping my family living in harmony. This is very wonderful prize to bring a lot of joys and happiness for everyone. Thank you very much.
it gives me something else to concentrate on rather than what is stressing me out
This would be a special book I could take to the Diabetic Specialist while I am sitting waiting for my appointment to be nice and calm. 🙂
I love being able to sit and relax and just focus on the job at hand
It gives me a bit of me time and I love to see how I can bring each picture to life!
Relaxing allowing you and allows you to forget your problems and escape
I find colouring in relaxing and I love the end result! I’ve actually framed and hung up some of my pictures and friends and family have admired them and even copied my idea!
It’s so calming colouring these in and has a great effect on myself as well as our kids.
Love showing the kids how it’s done 🙂 None of this colouring outside of the lines
Colouring is lovely after a busy day to relax and exercise my creativity.
It is a great way to focus on just one thing (not the hundreds of things normally flying around in my head) and it’s quick to get started and you can do as much or as little as you want.
It’s a creative outlet for this Dad who couldn’t draw to save himself.
I’m a bit ocd, and find it really satisfying to see all the colours fill in the blank spaces, just in the lines of course!
It’s so relaxing and a great to do and chat with eldest without the little people scribbling all over it
I love the stress relief!
A fun way to get the family together to relax and unwind, which is great for the body and mind.
Colouring in allows me to feel like an artist, taking a black and white boring picture and making it eye-poppingly spectacluar!!!!! Well at least that’s how I see my efforts 😉
The great things about these are that are perfect for people both young and old. Who doesn’t love colouring in?
Its an activity you can do with your kids or on your own. It doesn’t require much thought, just which pens to use? Pilot pop’lol of course!
Stress free and colorful. Brightens up my depression and glad to be free for awhile
Colouring allows me to be artistic even though I’ve got very little talent for art.
I love how colouring in occupies my thoughts, I can’t worry if I’m focusing on staying in the lines.
Great way to destress and bond with your kids.
It find it therapeutic and my kids love it when we all sit down together to colour in.
Calming and great just to take some time out every now and then.
I loved it as a kid and it is still so satisfying as an adult!
I find it very relaxing and love the chance to colour in with my children along side their colouring books.
I love the calm that comes with the concentration.
Colouring in is my zone out time after my daughter and hubby have gone to bed at night. I don’t have to think about anything and its great to help relax my mind after a stressful day at work
Its one thing i do for me, helps me relax, zone out and feel creative
I love that it allows quiet time with the kids. I can de-stress and they can be creative, practice their fine motor skills and we are actually spending time “together” … not just in the same room together.
It’s a great, relaxing activity for some quiet down time. Did I mention it’s quiet? Definitely one for when the kids are in bed.
it helps me relax and enjoy time with my kids who love colouring and drawing lots!!
Being able to create something I can share with my kids
It’s relaxing and fun! Can be done solo or with others. Great for stress relief too
My daughter and I are colouring-in-crazy-birds! It’s our little special time to chill and chat about whatever is on her mind. We even take our little colouring bundle to the skate park while her brother rides around!
Soothes the soul ,,,
The soothing regimentation of it all. A form of mind unwind!
It’s something you can do together as a family and make colourful memories
Relaxing, no mess, quiet enjoyment, creativity….it’s all there for a fun wind down time before bed.
It is easy to be succesful at colouring in. A beautiful work of art is always achieved.
It’s relaxing & u get to spend time with the family
I love how therapeutic it is, and also how fun it is to colour in with my kids!
I love that you can bring a picture or pattern to life just by adding colour to it. You’re only limited by your imagination and don’t always have to conform to what is considered normal.
It is relaxing and gives my eyes a break from the computer screen. Love seeing the finished result and knowing I created it.
I would love to share this fun activity with my teens!
I totally relax when colouring in…problem is, my 7 year old won’t share her books wiyh me lol
Unlike homework, you can’t get colouring wrong. It’s a great way to spend time with the kids and not have to be rating their work. Even though they always ask whose is the best!
always something different to draw, create and colur to make your day brighter
A family bonding ‘quiet time’ session. Perfect relaxation whilst I’m ‘hooked-up’ for hours with chemo. Finished products can be turned into ‘Thank-You’ cards for all those wonderful people who have supported me and given me encouragement.
Would love to destress with this and get my boys involved creatively
I find colouring in really relaxing and I’d love to get my kids involved with a more ‘mindful’ activity
It’s something I can do along-side my kids
Colouring is so relaxing and something that we enjoy as a family
so relaxing. also, i’ve discovered that if the kids or myself are feeling grumpy, sitting down and taking some time out and having a bit of a draw or colour in, can really make the grumps disappear. With the added advantage of having something to show for your reflecting time.
Just how cathartic it is. It’s a nice bit of escape and me time
It’s so calming, something that helps me connect with my kids
My daughter and I love colouring in together, and now my son has started to enjoy it also. I just love sitting down with them and enjoying those times together.
It’s something I share with my daughter (who loves it when I draw with her) or by myself for some peace and quiet
Relaxation plus!
As a busy mum, sitting still & meditating is a novel idea. This pack would help me reap the benefits of meditating but walk away with a beautiful end result!
As a kid I was always messy when it came to coloring and I never could keep inside the lines – now I can and its just relaxing and enjoyable, plus something I can do with my girls 🙂
relaxes my mind
I find it very relaxing and enjoyable.
Great activity, relaxing and calming and love seeing the colors come alive, excellent activity to do with the kids
3 window screens chewed by the puppy, bedroom blinds chewed by the puppy and the death of my dishwasher (puppy innocent) – A wellbeing boost is just what I need!
Colouring in is a great way to switch off and slow down, so important in today’s busy world.
I can bond with any of my kids over it – it spans the ages!
I love the time to quiet my brain and focus on one task not a dozen which usually happens when I try to un-wind.
An activity that I can do with the kids and it encourages them to do it because I am
It relieves a lot of stress for me
it’s relaxing, calming & really rewarding when you end up with a beautiful, colourful pic
It helps me relax and concentrate on the moment. It’s nice to take away the worries for a while, but not always easy otherwise. I’ve tried meditation and yoga but didn’t help. Colouring books was a big success! 🙂
I enjoy joining with the grand kids when they are colouring. Very relaxing and rewarding.
It helps relax me, and the kids enjoy colouring with me
This will be great for bonding time for me and my daughter.
I can just zone out from the outside world
it helps me with my depression and anxiety
It’s relaxing and calming, and a great activity to share with my daughter.
It is something wholesome to do with my daughter.
I have loved colouring in since as long as I can remember. I’d spend hours with my Mum and brother colouring in together and am busting to be able to do the same with my 2 kidlets
Colouring is so very relaxing as my mum is in a retirement village and has started a colouring in group once a month they meet , she cooks afternoon tea for all she now has 30 members
It’s relaxing and fun!
I like colouring in because while I am concentrating on that it helps clear my mind of stress and problems.
I love that I can colour in with my kids and it’s something we can do and enjoy doing together.
Colouring in is a fun activity we can do as a family but also something that is relaxing & clears the head once all the kids have gone to bed.
I love that my daughter and I can colour in together – it’s a relaxing and chilled hobby that we share.
Its a fun activity I can do with my kids . My wife says it diverts my anger to something positive.
So relaxing, keeps the hands busy and the mind free to wander.
It takes me on a journey of escape and wonderment
I love that colouring is something that you can do at any age, with anyone, anywhere. My kids (9, 8 & 3) and I love just sitting quietly together around the table. Everyone doing their own but all together.
I love that it’s an activity I enjoy as much as my children so we can sit around the table chatting and drawing
colouring in for me is a great stress relief and i love doing it at the beach i have the fresh air and sunshine and great art work to keep me company and with the help of all i come back with a great art work to me it is
It is very relaxing – perfect after a stressful day at work
I love colouring in it’s so calming and relaxing.
As do my girls, as soon as they were old enough to hold a crayon we have coloured together.
My youngest now aged 4 will happily spend over an hour colouring in adult colouring books.
Colouring In is a soothing, calming thing to do, and is a good activity to pass the time when waiting for the children to finish sports, music or whatever activity is keeping me in the car, and good not to always be using the phone.
I think it is very relaxing and it;s good for the whole family.
It improves hand-eye co-ordination, invigorates out creative energies, and emerges us in colour!
It helps me relax and unwind from a long day.
It is a great way to bond with my children.
It is absolutely an amazing prize for my family. Happy , Colouring, Peace ✌️
I find colouring in relaxing and peaceful, it’s really not just for kids!
I love that colouring is not restricted to age, race or gender. There are no rules. Its a hobby for EVERYONE!
I like that you can be as creative and colourful as you like then look back at the final page and see how clever you were!
It’s calming and relaxing and a good way to spend time with the kids
It is so soothing and a great thing to do with the kids, they always talk more about their day when their hands are busy.
Colouring in…I love that when I am colouring in, I am able to enter a complete state of mindfulness. It relaxes me, and enables me to be ‘in the moment’
I love how colouring in has help ease anxiety for my sister and a friend who struggle with mental health.
I love colouring with my family because it can smooth our negative thoughts and energy.
I love how it helps me to calm and destress. It is also great as my therapist told me when I wake in the middle of the night to go to the couch and colour in until I’m tired. its been so much better as I used to look at my phone for hours and now I sleep and feel more rested everyday.
I love colouring because I find it so relaxing and it takes my mind off the things that are stressing me.
My daughter really enjoys coloring and one of the best moment was for the whole family to do coloring together. It’s healthy, educational and train her to be self-entertained and patient.
Love the calmness it brings
colouring is a great way to calm the nerves and destress for all ages.
I love the calm it brings to me and all my kids.
I love that my son and I can do it together and it always relaxes me!!
I find it calming and therapeudic,takes your mind off problems as your so focused on keeping in the line
For as long as I can remember colouring in, drawing and general creative endeavours have been my go to for reducing my anxiety, depression and stress. Even proving to be more effective for me than therapy (and a great accompaniment to medications)
The best thing about colouring in is the emptying of the mind. When deciding which colour should fill which shape next is the only thing on my mind, and all of the bills, stresses, anxieties and to-do’s which normally fill my head, fall to the side, my mind can finally have a mental rest – which is the only mental rest, second to playing sport, that I have been able to find.
As stated below – it’s therapeutic in itself and great for relieving stress!
I love that this is a relaxing activity that I can do with my daughter and we can do it anywhere ! 🙂
It let’s you escape from everyday life, even if for only 10 mins, it’s so therapeutic no matter what the age
My 8yo loves colouring. It’s a great alternative to screen time on a winter’s day
Colouring in is very relaxing – for all ages.
I love the meditative aspect of colouring, you can just zone out and make beauty.
Would help with the stress of looking after my 2 wonderful children.
Would love some me time and colouring in is very relaxing.
Yay, colouring in is something I’m good at.Well at least without my glasses I can’t tell I’m out the lines and guess what? It doesn’t bother me if I am!
Love how relaxing it is and I’m able to be as creative as I like! I try and have my own colouring pencils/pens which are separate to my child’s pens so mine stay special and not chewed up!
It passes the time while recovering in hospital relieving my anxiety.
Enjoy the finished result (but not the wrist cramps).
Colouring creates peace and helps me to relax.
I love colouring and my son does too. We often colour together.
Colouring in is very calming and helps with anxiety issues
Being a single mum of 2 boys aged 3 and 4, this would be great to have to destress 🙂
It’s relaxing and no matter how uncreative you are you can still create something.
I love colouring in to relax… It’s also something we do as a family on a rainy day as it’s something we all love.
~ Just for relaxing! ~
I love colouring it is a great way to relax before bed or the stresses of the day
That it’s something I can do alone or with the kids and at home or away!
It takes my mind off my worries and I feel my blood pressure falling.
I find it very relaxing.
I love that colouring in keeps my mind off things that have been worrying me. I find that it helps alot with my anxiety and mental health as it calms me and keeps my mind busy.
The 30 seconds I get to enjoy colouring in (before my son begins tasting the crayons, texts, pencils etc) is quite relaxing… and it’s fun.
Colouring in helps to chill you out & calm you down, keeping depression at bay through repeative motion in much the same way as meditation does by keeping the body, soul & mind pre-occupied in a relaxed, altered state which is beneficial to your health in many ways, plus it is enjoyable and at the end you have these amazing looking pieces of art!
Just being able to switch off and focus on me time
Why should the kids have all the fun?!
The fun!
Cool
its cheaper distressing with this then with wine
It’s a cheap & fun activity I can do in the warmth of my own home & is so relaxing after a hectic day!
relieves stress, helps in forgetting any dramas around you and best of all keeps me connected to my nephews especially the eldest Jesse who loves anything arty…
Sounds like something amazing I can do with my little girls
It helps soothe my anxious mind and reconnects me with my childhood. When I have some quiet time on the train it’s so so SO good to be able to pick whatever page suits my mood and take my time colouring it in. Colouring in time at home with my 3 year old usually consists of him picking the page, telling me I can only use brown, and me rushing to finish it within 7 seconds before he flicks to the next page… *eye twitch*
With three crazy, loud boys, it brings peace and calm to my life AND an opportunity to have them join my calm.
The colours are so vibrant and lovely! I would love to try them out!! (Maybe without the kids to begin with)
I have always loved Coloring in. All through childhood and into adulthood. I fidget a lot and Coloring in helps to stop that, I take my books and pensils everywhere!
Colouring in with my 2.5 year old is a sure way for us both to relax, be creative and have some quiet time. Miss 2.5 is also a self proclaimed artist, and loves to surprise me with beautiful drawings of faces and flowers.
time to rest, unwind, closeness with the kids
We’re just starting school holidays, colouring in on a cold winters day sounds perfect
A great way to de-stress and have me time as a first time parent
Really good alternative to practicing meditation for my partner suffering chronic pain. Colouring in might be a way she can “meditate” and be present doing something visual and not pressured
Bonding with my children. Being creative and have fun exploring ideas about colours with them. And also stimulate my brain at the same time
The chance to escape, be creative as an adult and enjoy me time
It’s very relaxing.
It relaxes the mind and fuels the body with creativity. It’s also the perfect escape from reality into a magical land.
I love that it relaxes me! Started when I tore the tendon attached to my elbow and it was soooo frustrating trying to do everything one handed. With an expected healing time of up to 12 months, I couldn’t even tear my hair out effectively, lol, but I could colour in and it saved my sanity!
I was just going to say that it is very relaxing when I saw the same sentence in the comment below. But it’s true. You escape into another world and forget about all your problems and the problems of the world.
I love that it takes stress away
Love creating colourful artworks while taking my mind off things. Colouring in helps me focus on what’s in front of me and forgetting everything else. I would love to win and have some me time relaxing and doing what I Iove, colouring in and making things colourful.
its very relaxing , helped me a lot whilst dealing with some very stressful events as a wind down at the end of the day with a nice hot coffee <3
Fine motor skill building and being able to create something else no else can do by using your imagination by changing the colours!
I enjoy colouring with my youngest daughter as it helps calm her very active mind and builds her fine motor skills.
i love that it relaxes me and find it very therapeutic
I love the way colouring in carries me away to another world, it’s as though there’s nothing else around me. It’s so relaxing and calming and takes me back to when i was a kid with no worries or stress.
I love that I don’t have to be perfect, no staying in the lines if I don’t want to, and I can clash the colours and go wild. It’s freeing for my soul and a way to bond with my children
I love coloring as it makes me feel happy after seeing the colorful paper.
I’ve been struggling recently with some pretty severe health and mental health issues and I find that colouring in really helps me to focus and centre myself and keep calm when things are too stressful.
When I colour in I lose time and my worries.
I just enjoy the moment… It feels amazing.
Thank you for the opportunity to win this beautiful colouring pack.
Seeing the magic that appears on the page before my eyes. It relieves stress, takes my mind off worries & connects me with my children while doing something we enjoy together.
You can definitely get lost while colouring, takes you back to your childhood where everything was just simpler.
Sense if relaxation!
awesome prize