Coloring Benefits Students
- Ellie Hinch
- Feb 6, 2020
- 1 min read
Most teenagers give up coloring after elementary school, viewing the activity juvenile or boring. But now, more than ever, a teenager should be picking up those markers and crayons once again. Coloring actually has multiple health benefits that individuals may not be aware of.
Coloring reduces stress and anxiety. By coloring, a person can relax the fear center in the brain or the amygdala. It induces the effects that meditating does, reducing the thoughts of a restless mind. This relaxation generates quietness and mindfulness, which allows the brain to rest after a long, hard day at work or school. Quietness and mindfulness takes the focus of the brain away from yourself and to the present moment. The fact that the outcome of coloring is predictable also can relax a person.
Coloring improves motor skills and vision. Coloring goes beyond a fun, relaxing activity. It actually requires both parts of the brain to communicate. While logic guides a person to color inside the lines, choosing colors generates a creative thought process.
Coloring improves a person’s focus. Coloring forces a person to focus on something, but not so much that it’s stressful. The low stakes makes it pleasurable. It opens the frontal lobe, the part of the brain that controls organization and problem solving, which allows an individual to cast other thoughts to the side and focus on the present moment.
Simple, easy and fun, coloring allows a person to be creative with no consequence. If you’re looking for a fun way to de-stress after school, coloring will definitely help.
Check out these sources for more information about the health benefits of coloring.
