Earlier this year, during a weekend getaway to the mountains, a friend of mine brought out a bunch of coloring books and crayons. No, there were no kids around—the group was all 20- and 30-somethings—and for a few moments, we looked at her like she was a little insane.
We finally gave in (it was either that or Monopoly), and after a couple of hours, we all felt more relaxed than we had in a long time. And a little more creative, too.
Turns out, adult coloring is a thing—a thing that has been around for several decades but has just recently gained mainstream popularity. The activity, experts say, has a brain-quieting, stress-reducing effect on always-on professionals.
Think about it: When was the last time your mind stayed focused so intently on something that wasn’t a screen? Plus, as psychologist Gloria Martínez Ayala tells The Huffington Post, coloring “brings out our imagination and takes us back to our childhood, a period in which we most certainly had a lot less stress.”
From beautiful seascapes to Ryan Gosling illustrations (yes, really), pick one you love, then tell us how it goes on Twitter!
