Adult colouring books

[Wishimaywishimight]

Just wondering if anyone uses, or has in the past, used these as a means of dealing with stress or anxiety? I cannot focus properly on reading at the moment (usually my favourite way to relax) so wondered about trying a colouring book.

Yes a wonderful way to relax. Enjoy

I have a few things going on in my life that cause anxiety and panic .
When I am calm I can read my books and do puzzles . But there are times when I just can't concentrate . There the colouring books come in , and they do help . I am not good at art ( never was 😄 ) . But yes they give a distraction from whatever is going on in your life , from shopping for books , pencils and pens to choosing which book to colour etc .
So yes get some .

I love them! I suffered badly with anxiety in the past and found that colouring really helped to soothe my busy mind.

I bought Johanna Basford in Haight Ashbury in San Francisco in 2013 and it brings back such great memories.

I have the small postcards versions too and use them as notes or thank you cards. I have several others too but Johanna Basford is my favourite.

I really like intricate patterns and I use lovely pencils rather than pens.
I have a range of metallic pencils and they make the pictures stand out

Good luck, I hope this works for you.

I love these, really good way to relax! The Johanna Basford ones are my favourites

I have chronic pain and they really help distract me in a way. Especially using nice colouring pencils for some reason

I love the mandala ones! They have repetitive patterns and I find them extremely soothing! They help unwind my mind. I enjoy using crayola wax crayons for the simpler patterns, and felt tips or colouring pencils for finer ones. I treated myself to the biggest tin of caran d'ache pencils, and I get great joy from using them. ( I longed for them as a child but they were so expensive I never got them)
I get my books from Amazon.

Yes, my dad has dementia and he loves the adult colouring books. Buy them off Amazon

Oh yes, I love the order of the Mandela patterns.

I hate them...I know they're supposed to be good for relaxation but I just found myself thinking of the thing that was annoying me and by the end of it I was colouring in furiously in a foul mood. I obviously shouldn't be left alone with my thoughts.

I love them and used them a lot when I hat post natal anxiety. My favourite was an Orla Kiely one.

You could print one off the Internet to try

Ok so the verdict is almost (sorry they didn't help you @SirChenjins, I hope you found something else that soothed). I'm currently on Amazon and have ordered myself some caran d'ache pencils and am browsing the Johanna Basford books.

Many thanks for all the responses, hopefully the colouring will have a suitably calming effect.

@Shouldbedoing - I never thought of that!

@Wishimaywishimight

Ok so the verdict is almost (sorry they didn't help you *@SirChenjins*, I hope you found something else that soothed). I'm currently on Amazon and have ordered myself some caran d'ache pencils and am browsing the Johanna Basford books.

Many thanks for all the responses, hopefully the colouring will have a suitably calming effect.

Hope you enjoy it ( and the posh pencils!)

Alcohol and a good book works for me

I hope they work for you, I know others who really like them

I like the ones with swear words in them.

Yes, Hannah Karlzon books are the best- get them on Amazon! And treat yourself to some high quality Artist's coloured pencils too- Derwent Procolour are my favourites or Faber Castell Polychromos!

I bought some good alcohol markers (drawing a blank on the name right now sorry!) and they're so smooth and lovely to use. The cheap ones aren't quite as good.

They give me anxiety too. I get really stressed about which colours to use. I have some dot-to-dot books and I love scratch art or coloring by numbers. I seem to get on better with things that are more black and white than creative.

@Werehamster

They give me anxiety too. I get really stressed about which colours to use. I have some dot-to-dot books and I love scratch art or coloring by numbers. I seem to get on better with things that are more black and white than creative.

That's why I like the mandala ones. Lovely, simple, repetitive patterns. I've seen threads on here where people show their gloriously arty finished works, but I just like to fill in the patterns with solid colours. I leave white spaces too so I don't get sensory overload.

Most other colouring books give me anxiety too.

Dot to dot books or Word searches are great for my anxiety - they require just the right amount of focus to help take my mind of things

Here's one of mine

Oooh - that’s lovely! You have a very good eye for colour and design

@SirChenjins

Oooh - that’s lovely! You have a very good eye for colour and design

Thank you! I like keeping it very simple and using my favourite colours.

Don't buy a book, it most likely be gathering dust after a page or two.

Print a pageof something u like the look of to try whether u even enjoy it.

(Colouring sends me into a rage!)