Let’s be honest, how many hours a day do we stare at a computer screen, lap top, tablet or a cell phone?  We spend a lot of time on electronics, too much time!  I’m always looking for other ways to occupy myself.  If you know me even a little bit, you know I love working out, camping or backpacking because these are activities that not only help to keep me physically and mentally active, but they are great stress relievers. I recently discovered a new hobby that has stress relieving qualities and I don’t have to get off the couch.  (This is great for my inner couch potato!)

I’ve recently taken on Adult Coloring!  You read that right: Adult Coloring, like coloring books for adults.  It’s simply the art of coloring just like we used to do as children.  I first heard about adult coloring on the news, it’s en vogue right now! Then, it came across on my Facebook feed when a friend of mine posted about getting a new coloring book and colored pencils.  I later stumbled on the actual coloring books at Target while searching for a new novel.  I flipped through the pages and was mesmerized by the beautiful mandalas, animals, flowers and other intricate abstract or geometric designs.

For my daughter’s birthday, she received some of these coloring books as gifts, and my eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas Day.  Adult coloring books have become a thing!  They’re all the rage, and for good reason.  According to the authors of one of my coloring books, adult coloring is a therapeutic and meditative way to relieve stress.  I totally agree! Coloring has a calming effect, it helps me to unwind, relax, and focus on nothing but filling beautiful images on a page with colors.  The best part is that coloring is an activity for everyone, there is no right or wrong way to color, there’s no “I don’t know how!” about it, everyone can color, you don’t even have to stay in the lines.  Adult coloring is accessible to anyone, there are even coloring clubs out there for people who want to color and socialize.  (My daughter and I color almost every night, yay for mommy / daughter time!)

This leads me back to the question I asked at the beginning of this post: How  many times a day do we reach for our electronic devices to check social media or play a game?  Look around in traffic, in a store, at the gym, at the doctor’s office…how many people are constantly attached to their cell phones?  What I love most about my new hobby is that it has kept me from looking at electronic screens.   (I was waiting in the dentist’s office the other day and there were 5 people on cell phones while I happily colored!)  Coloring is great to pass the time on a rainy, lazy day!

If you’re looking for a new hobby, craving a creative outlet while relieving stress at the same time, definitely check out adult coloring books.  Here are some pictures of my new coloring books and some beautiful pictures I’ve colored: