They have been compared to meditation. To a brain switched off. An equivalent of a nap. So-called “adult” coloring books have been trendy for a couple of years now, but as a late addition to the bandwagon, I am just now experiencing the ups and downs of a minor coloring book addiction. The benefits are clear: an opportunity to relax but not succumb to boredom and an activity that bridges generations. However, in my limited exposure to grown-up coloring books, a few cons have arisen. Sometimes my stress is not the right kind for coloring. If the stress stems from a feeling of lack of time (as mine usually does), coloring is possibly the worst thing I could do. Not only does fail to solve the problem, it makes it even worse by adding another mode of procrastination. Further, sometimes even the act of coloring makes me stressed. Remember how when you were little and just wanted to color in between the lines? That’s me. Except that since I have a limited amount of time, I can get careless with my edges. Which leads to a messy drawing. Which makes me stressed. You see? All that being said, I am glad that people like coloring and that it is an option for de-stressing. But lets stop pretending it is the full solution to any and all kinds of stress.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Tulane chapter.