Mindfulness Colouring for All Ages
What is mindful colouring and can it really help reduce stress and anxiety?
First, let’s gain an understanding of what mindfulness is.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the most prolific and researched writers on this topic, defines mindfulness as “the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” Another Mindfulness definition is the human ability to be fully present and aware of where and what they are doing whilst at the same time not being overwhelmed by anything going on around them.
Two things cannot take up the same space in the mind/brain at the same time, so if one is practising being mindful to its full extent then the feelings and overwhelm in anxiety or stress in that same moment are significantly reduced. Using this definition, it could then be said that mindfulness is a type of action in which you focus intently and become intensely aware of what you are sensing and feeling in a given moment without interpretation or judgement from within you or towards others.
Mindfulness practice is also reported as being subjective, so therefore there can be slight variations in definitions and meanings between books, audios and websites. To find your own meaning to know what mindfulness is, experts suggest you give it a try for a while. Anyone can practice mindfulness. When we are practising being mindful, we reduce stress and anxiety, gain insight and awareness and possibly enhance performance. As mentioned earlier, no two things can occupy the same space in the mind, so if we are anxious, we can’t be mindful, if we are practising being mindful, we find it more difficult to experience anxiousness.
Mindfulness is not a strange or exotic practice requiring special tools or places difficult to source. We already have the ability to practice mindfulness and all the required resources entirely within to use at any given point in time. We don’t need to change anything except our commitment to activate our innate capacity to be present and non-judgemental. Cultivating a good mindfulness regime has a positive benefit not only for the person practising but also on their relationships, as they become more meaningful and understood.
Relaxing hobby part of counselling to help people deal with their anxiety disorders as published in The Daily Telegraph - Click Here to read the article in Rouse Hill Times
Anyone can practice mindfulness by bringing it into our everyday way of living. No special phenomenon is required nor sign up to any meetings. Mindfulness is a way of living that you can practice and insert into your everyday awareness. In addition, mindfulness practice has the following benefits:
Mindfulness in its most genuine form has the following qualities:
Being fully present to what’s happening in this moment
Leaving the past in the past
Dealing with facts and not fiction, ie. Not looking into the future, just concentrating on the now
Holding back judgements of self and others
Maintaining good emotional health
Responding in a more logical fashion rather than reacting emotionally
Gaining a solid connection with our inner self
In summary, mindfulness can connect you and the people you engage within a more relaxed non-threatening authentic way where all parties feel heard and accepted.
So how is mindfulness different to meditation?
Meditation starts within the body and ends within the body. The process where attention to what’s going on in the body which can have a calming effect encouraging the body rhythms to relax. Meditation is a method that someone may use to learn to live mindfully where the seeds of mindfulness are planted and cultivated to grow throughout life.
One very important part of meditation is the necessity to concentrate.
Often when trying to focus, external stimuli impact our ability to be quiet internally, where the mind wanders and it is difficult to maintain focus. Removing stimuli and concentrating on the practice at hand calms and quietens the mind which has benefits such as reduced stress and anxiety, lowered blood pressure and much more.
So how does colouring fit with mindfulness?
We’ve covered some very basic detail about what both mindfulness and meditation are and how they can positively benefit mental and physical health. So, let’s briefly talk about an activity that anyone can do almost anytime to practice mindfulness and reap the rewards: Colouring in.
Using the discussion above, mindful colouring is just a way to bring awareness to a task and be in the present moment as you colour. This process allows you to let go of intruding negative thoughts, present past or future and instead focus on the colouring.
According to a study from Nicola J. Holt, Leah Furbert & Emily Sweetingham (2019) Cognitive and Affective Benefits of Coloring: Two Randomized Controlled Crossover Studies, Art Therapy, 36:4, 200-208, DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2019.1645498 looking at the benefits of colouring on the mind where volunteers were either asked to spend 20 minutes reading or 20 minutes colouring-in, the research showed colouring reduced higher levels of anxiety, whilst also improving mindfulness practice.
Furthermore, in addition to reduced anxiety and stress, mindful colouring has also been shown to improve sleep and focus. The colouring activity can be completed using mindfulness colouring sheets, mindfulness colouring books or by creating your own design or project.
The mere act of setting aside time to colour and just randomly colouring isn’t enough to reap the full rewards mindfulness offers. The activity requires a conscious effort to set aside intruding negative thoughts and be aware of the fullness of the activity. This includes setting aside judgements, opinions and preferences and looking at them freely with awareness and compassion. During this time when bringing your attention back to colouring, simply notice the weight size texture of the colouring tool, the shades, the tones and anything specific to that activity.
Mindfulness colouring groups - To help in the commitment to get started, as well as feel part of a community, I have set up a quiet peaceful place online where you are welcome to join like-minded people in a quiet space as we mindfully colour in. I previously held these groups in person and am hoping to bring those back in the near future.
If you would like to know more about the mindfulness colouring groups online, please fill in the form at the bottom or CLICK HERE to go directly to the online platform.
