If you find coloring soothing, you might be surprised to find that adult coloring books are more than just a fun way to go. In recent years, adult coloring books have been touted as a way of self-care, with the potential to reduce thoughts and promote relaxation. If you are currently working towards a materialless lifestyle, you can try to prevent boredom, relieve stress and express yourself on your recovery journey in a healthy way.
Explore the potential advantages of adults in coloring during recovery.
1. Improve mindfulness and relaxation
Coloring can take your attention away from your mind to the present. Feel your concerns disappear from your consciousness, focus on such as crayons between your fingers, the smell of paper or the shadow of your chosen color. The soft, repetitive movement of the crayon or brush can lead to an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), reducing stress and encouraging relaxation. Coloring may affect recovery by helping you get rid of the buzz of your head or the bustling world and focus on the present.
2. Can relieve anxiety and depression
Up to one in four adults have medication use disorder (SUD) and also have some type of mental health conditions such as depression, general anxiety disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Addicted people often see their uses as self-treatment, a way to hopefully soothe their tension, forget their worries and escape the stress of life. However, addiction often exacerbates existing challenges and brings new struggles to one’s own.
Once you recover, coloring in your spare time may be a welcome addition to your routine treatment compared to plaid pattern coloring, free painting and reading in your studies involving 120 adults – the coloring of mandala relieves anxiety in the study involving 120 adults. Participants reported feeling calm, safe and relaxed while enjoying this simple activity.
3. Improve sleep quality
Research shows that drug use disorders and alcohol dependence often interfere with sleep quality and consistency. Good, quiet sleep is essential for recovery and makes your body and mind time heal, so it is crucial to treat sleep disorders with SUD. Quiet coloring may help your brain relax before trying to fall asleep, turning your thoughts from reflection and worry to a simple, methodical task at hand. It is also a great alternative to screen time and can help you reduce blue light exposure before bedtime.
4. Provides healthy interference
Addicted people experience changes in the brain, in which case the substance-training neural pathways expect unnatural amount of dopamine. When your brain adapts to life without substance, try healthy activities that will bring you joy, comfort and a sense of accomplishment, such as completing coloring book pages, or even a smaller portion of it. As you enjoy new hobbies and achieve milestones, you may feel more motivated to continue to maintain healthy behaviors such as colors.
Coloring may also help relieve stress. When faced with challenges and needing to cope with painful emotions healthily, coloring may help you temporarily relax or distract from your daily worries.
5. Increase focus
Some experts believe that shading can help you hone your focus and focus. The more complex the design, the smaller the color space, and your brain is getting more and more. This may be because activities like crosswords and coloring activate the medial prefrontal cortex, which is part of the frontal lobe. This means your brain is organizing and solving problems while working. Regular coloring sessions can help you focus on one thing, potentially increasing your focus and attention.
6. Promote self-care
Many people who are dependent spend so much time pursuing and absorbing substances that they miss the current basic self-care time to recharge. Coloring is the ideal way to restore quiet time and get used to “just”.
Low-risk activities can be satisfying because you don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy it. Color outside the line, or make it tidy or messy at will. The results are not predictable or normative – even if you mess it up, there are no real consequences. Letting shading is a way to escape, not test your ability. Wear some music or white noise and get comfortable and come to life just for yourself.
7. Cultivate your inner artist
Adult coloring books allow you to develop inner artists. There are no rules for shading or creating your own creative activities in fun designs. Communicate your thoughts or emotions in different colors and let the crayon guide your self-expression on each page. Coloring can also inspire a feeling of nostalgia that brings you back to childhood and memories.
Choose a book with a theme to talk to you (whether it’s an animal or a meaningful offer), and choose the color you like to get your inner child crazy.
The Difference Between Art Therapy and Therapeutic Art
Please note that coloring can be a healthy self-help activity, but it is not the same as interacting with a qualified art therapist in a professional art therapy service. In art therapy, professionals can help you soothe yourself and work together or self-regulate while dealing with the recovery of your emotions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and other evidence-based treatments can also help you.
Why do you need to recover and trust us?
At Diamond House Detox, we provide a shelter for recovery and recovery using evidence-based treatment models and a team of compassionate, experienced healthcare professionals and therapists. As part of our comprehensive addiction program and medically assisted detox services, we support the co-emergency of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and OCD. You can also engage in therapeutic arts such as painting and coloring at Diamond House Detox.
We prioritize public-private, comfort, expert medical care, and strong relationships between clients and therapists for the most personalized, quality treatments. You will be able to use a great executive chef who offers nutritionally optimized meals as well as a range of support groups from life to smart recovery and beyond. Our facilities are certified for accidental medical services, so you can receive medication on site and consult a doctor.
Recovery of life through Diamond House
Coloring can be a great way to relax, enjoy the moments and express yourself creatively. With the potential to calm the mind, soothe the senses and provide healthy interference, you may find it a healthy activity during your recovery process.
Diamond House detox in Northern California is your chance to self-authorize, freedom from addiction, and new connections with your loved ones. Gifts to yourself for recovery – Contact us now to start the quick and easy admission process.
Vicky is a board certified family mental health nurse practitioner certified by the American Nurses Certification Center. She began her nursing career in health care by working in the intensive care unit and then in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. After realizing the mental health needs of patients and serving their families, she became a psychiatric nurse. In working with clients, she developed a passion for those with dual diagnosis and specifically helped individuals recognize the issues that drive their substance use. This awareness is crucial to individuals’ success in therapy. Vicky turned on Diamond House detox so she could address these issues early in her therapeutic environment to enable clients to transition to the next level in recovery.
