Recently there has been an explosion of adult coloring books. Even 5 of Amazon’s current top 15 books are coloring books. More than just a fad, there seems to be some actual science behind the act of putting crayon to paper.

Jordan Gaines Lewis, a science writer and neuroscience Ph.D. student at Penn State College of Medicine, recently wrote a piece about how coloring can help with your life.

Everyday Creativity

Lewis explains that many people are finding a lack of creativity in their lives. Obviously the act of coloring can help with that, but it goes beyond the simple act of coloring. From simple decisions of what color to use, to expressing your personal style when you choose what to color next, they all help. Lewis claims “more new research has focused on how creativity, especially in the form of visual art, can improve physical health.”

Decision Fatigue

Lewis also shares how many of us are suffering from Decision Fatigue. We all have too many impactful choices to make everyday. Coloring allows us to make “a series of small, inconsequential decisions (teal or mahogany for this squiggly line?)” and may help us get a small part of self-control back after a long day.

The article is a fun read and not too long so read it now or just go and color… we won’t mind!

Image credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/1zR3WNSTnvY (Aaron Burden), licensed under CC0 1.0