An increasingly popular trend that has taken off recently is adult coloring. At first, the concept sounds silly. Obviously coloring is an activity for toddlers, right? It turns out this is not always the case. Adult coloring books are similar in some ways to the books made for children (which we all think of when we hear the words ‘coloring book’) in that they contain outlines of images which are designed to be colored in. However the images in adult coloring books are far more detailed and intricate. Where a children’s coloring book image may only have a few large sections to color, an adult coloring book image may have hundreds of tiny sections, enabling the color-er to create a beautiful design with a myriad of possible color schemes.

Coloring is what we call unintentional meditation, which means that you can get similar benefits to meditation without doing a “normal” meditation session. While it is not meditation per se, it is in fact a highly meditative activity. When the mind is focused on a precise yet repetitive activity such as coloring it tends to push out other thoughts. Similar to the way you might focus on your breathing during a typical meditation session, the act of coloring can actually bring about the same benefits as more traditional meditation methods. Most adult coloring books have soothing images and patterns which, as they gradually become colored in, serve to further heighten the mind’s focus and enjoyment.