{"id":4933,"date":"2020-04-02T20:22:23","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T20:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/?p=4933"},"modified":"2020-05-19T13:53:05","modified_gmt":"2020-05-19T13:53:05","slug":"the-benefits-of-coloring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catalinaislandcamps.com\/the-benefits-of-coloring\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits Of Coloring"},"content":{"rendered":"
Coloring is fun, and it turns out it<\/span>\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0actually beneficial to your health.\u00a0<\/span>Coloring is not just for kids\u00a0<\/span>anymore;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>dults can benefit from coloring<\/span>\u00a0too<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0I<\/span>‘m no<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>n<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>e<\/span>x<\/span>p<\/span>e<\/span>rt, so I can\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>say that coloring is art therapy<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0but it\u00a0<\/span>certainly has<\/span>\u00a0some therapeutic properties.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t just take my word for it, many medical\u00a0<\/span>magazines<\/span>\u00a0and news outlets have<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>researched<\/span>\u00a0and written about the benefits of coloring.\u00a0<\/span>Y<\/span>ou don\u2019t need to read all of those\u00a0<\/span>articles<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0I\u2019ll<\/span>\u00a0break it down for you<\/span>\u00a0(unless you wan<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0everything backed up by science and numbers<\/span>, then\u00a0<\/span>go\u00a0<\/span>ahe<\/span>ad and Google some of those articles<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I am going to use our summer camp<\/a> slogan<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Unplug Connect Discover <\/span><\/i>to simplify this breakdown<\/span>.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This one is easy. Instead of going from my computer in the dining room to the couch in the living room and the TV, I can take a screen break and color<\/span>. M<\/span>an<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0do th<\/span>ose pieces of art\u00a0<\/span>look better when I only color\u00a0<\/span>ins<\/span>t<\/span>ead of<\/span>\u00a0try<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0to draw.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Coloring\u00a0<\/span>allows\u00a0<\/span>us\u00a0<\/span>to focus on the now and<\/span>\u00a0creates<\/span>\u00a0a sense of\u00a0<\/span>mindfulness<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>I looked it up<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0it means\u00a0<\/span>a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I like yoga<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>meditation<\/span>, and mindfulness<\/span>\u00a0and t<\/span>hey seem like they are everywhere right now,\u00a0<\/span>but\u00a0<\/span>if<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I try\u00a0<\/span>to sit still with my eye<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0closed for more than two minute<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>then\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m asleep.\u00a0<\/span>Ask any of the people that attend our office yoga, go ahead, they<\/span>\u00a0like to<\/span>\u00a0mention my snoring.<\/span>\u00a0Don\u2019t worry I\u2019m over it now. Now h<\/span>and me some colored pencils and a coloring book and I could go for hours (well<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0maybe 45 minutes<\/span>\u00a0at most)<\/span>\u00a0without falling asleep<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Coloring relaxes the mind<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0I stop thinking about all\u00a0<\/span>my<\/span>\u00a0work tasks<\/span>\u00a0and think<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0\u201cstay in the lines, stay in the lin<\/span>e<\/span>s<\/span>, stay in….dang<\/span>.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>It connects me to my own creativity, reduces stress and anxiety, <\/span>and allows me to see what is right in front of me. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Anxiety and stress are two<\/span>\u00a0emotions\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0run rampant in these\u00a0<\/span>trying<\/span>\u00a0times of being quarantined with the family you loved a week ago but now\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0starting to get on yo<\/span>ur nerves<\/span>. You are t<\/span>rapped in your house, house apartment, or dorm with nowhere to <\/span>go and running out of \u201cprojects to do in the garage\u201d, so why not try coloring?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>When I am\u00a0<\/span>coloring,<\/span>\u00a0I can move into the world of the page\u00a0<\/span>or picture\u00a0<\/span>I’m<\/span>\u00a0coloring\u00a0<\/span>not the one with Corona<\/span>v<\/span>irus and\u00a0<\/span>q<\/span>uarantine. We can create a new world where the Catalina Island Fox did not steal\u00a0<\/span>all of my socks, but one where he returns them.\u00a0<\/span>This state of discovery takes me away from the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>world\u00a0<\/span>of consuming<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>nxiety and stress<\/span>, and I highly recommend it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Coloring allows you to\u00a0<\/span>unplug\u00a0<\/span><\/i>from technology,\u00a0<\/span>connect\u00a0<\/span><\/i>with yourself, and\u00a0<\/span>d<\/span><\/i>iscover\u00a0<\/span><\/i>your creativity.<\/span> Don\u2019t know where to start?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Check out our little coloring book here: <\/p>\n The Catalina Island Conservancy\u00a0<\/a><\/span>created a document with some coloring pages of\u00a0<\/span>island<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>plants and animals. Pinterest<\/a> also has some great coloring book pages you can print from home<\/span>. I encourage you to give it a try,\u00a0<\/span>color<\/span> together as a family instead of watching TV.\u00a0<\/span>Here is a link to the Conservancy coloring book: <\/p>\nColoring can help us\u00a0Unplug<\/i>:<\/h2>\n
Coloring can help us C<\/i>onnect:<\/i><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Coloring can help us\u00a0Discover<\/span><\/i><\/b>:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n