Stressed-out adults may want to sit down with a box of colored pencils and a coloring book.
That’s because a University of North Florida researcher says the activity can be an effective stress reliever.
UNF Psychology Professor Tracy Alloway directed a study of a small group of military veterans who said they suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Alloway said she had them color a mandala, which is a complex, geometric design from the Sanskrit word for “circle.”
Give It A Try: Mandala Coloring Pages That Can Be Printed Or Colored Online
“Research has suggested that a mandala provides a very mindful or meditative aspect. You get very focused on the symmetry, the circular aspect of it and it can be a very calming influence,” Alloway said.
The veterans reported being less on-edge after just 20 minutes of coloring.
“And it’s great to know that we could find a quick way that they could even start doing on their own to be able to minimize some of the stressful and anxiety related symptoms,” Allow said.
She is now conducting a study with seniors in care facilities to see if coloring a mandala could benefit them as well.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
Photo used under Creative Commons license.
