The Metaphor of a Coloring Book
August 2nd was National Coloring Book Day. A 2022 article from Mayo Clinic Health System states, “coloring has increased in popularity recently, especially for adults… Coloring is a healthy way to relieve stress. It calms the brain and helps your body relax. This can improve sleep and fatigue while decreasing body aches, heart rate, respiration, and feelings of depression and anxiety.”
It is very fitting that National Coloring Book Day would fall in the month of August, when children and adults of all ages are returning to school. Engaging in a coloring book brings about a sense of wonderment and mindfulness, especially when dealing with challenges that seem insuperable. While coloring books have long been popular among children of all ages, adult coloring books have found a niche among adults across various ages as well.
Coloring books are a metaphor for creating a space of pure joy, despite the potential onset of interruption and consternation. There is no doubt that the everyday occurrences of the adult world can bring about immense stress and anxiety. According to a 2022 survey conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation and CNN, “Ninety percent of the public think there is a mental health crisis in the United States today, with half of young adults and one-third of all adults reporting that they have felt anxious either always or often in the past year.” But with stats showing more extended bouts of depression and complex PTSD, many are reshifting their entire lives in an effort to create more space for moments of joy.
Coloring books can also be a metaphor for finding beauty in moments of bleakness, despair, or even moments of uncertainty. Similar to the euphemism: “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, a blank coloring book can be largely be seen as a challenge or situation and a box of crayons can be largely seen as the tools to navigate and add value to the situation, whether those tools are journaling, taking a walk, listening to music, therapy, etc.
With a crucial election coming in the last quarter of the year, it is going to be necessary to ensure one has tools for stress and anxiety when grappling with a confrontational political environment. Sometimes, one cannot control the outcome of certain challenges, but one can certainly make the most out of and find value in those challenges.
