Draft:Mindful Coloring

Mindful Coloring

Mindful Coloring refers to the practice of coloring within outlines of images as a therapeutic or creative exercise to promote mindfulness and reduce psychological stress. This practice has been studied in various contexts including education, therapy, and personal wellness, showing benefits in reducing anxiety, improving mood, and enhancing mental focus.

Contents

1. Definition
2. Historical Background
3. Psychological Benefits
4. Application in Therapy
5. Academic Studies
6. See Also
7. References

1. Definition

Mindful Coloring involves focusing one's attention on the colors and the act of coloring within the lines of a pre-drawn image. This activity is considered a form of open meditation that can help individuals ground themselves in the present moment, often leading to a state of active meditation and reduced mental chatter.

2. Historical Background

The concept of coloring as a form of therapy was popularized in the early 21st century, although similar activities, such as mandala creation, have been used in therapeutic and spiritual contexts for centuries. Psychologist Carl Jung was one of the first to introduce the therapeutic use of mandalas as a form of psychotherapy.

3. Psychological Benefits

Research suggests that mindful coloring can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and improve emotional and mental health. Studies like those by Babouchkina and Robbins (2015), and Carsley, Heath, and Fajnerova (2015) have demonstrated the efficacy of coloring, particularly mandala coloring, in reducing negative mood and test anxiety in children, respectively.

4. Application in Therapy

Mindful coloring is used in various therapeutic settings, including stress relief for cancer patients and as a method for improving well-being among medical students as seen in studies by Potash et al. (2015) and Rigby and Taubert (2016). It is also incorporated into mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) sessions to facilitate self-expression and emotional recovery.

5. Academic Studies

Significant studies on mindful coloring include:

• Curry and Kasser (2005) and van der Vennet and Serice (2012) who explored the use of mandala coloring as a tool for reducing anxiety.
• Henderson, Rosen, and Mascaro (2007) who focused on the healing nature of mandalas.
• Potash, Chen, and Tsang (2015) who evaluated the impact of mandala making on medical students' well-being.

6. See Also

• Art Therapy
• Mandala
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)

7. References

• Babouchkina, A., & Robbins, S. J. (2015). Reducing negative mood through mandala creation: a randomized controlled trial. Art Ther, 32(1), 34-39.
• Carsley D., Heath N. L., Fajnerova S. (2015). Effectiveness of a classroom mindfulness coloring activity for test anxiety in children. J. Appl. School Psychol. 31 239–255. 10.1080/15377903.2015.1056925
• Curry N. A., Kasser T. (2005). Can coloring mandalas reduce anxiety? Art Ther. 22 81–85. 10.1080/10615806.2015.1076798
• DeLue C. (1999). “Physiological effects of creating mandalas,” in Medical Art Therapy with Children, ed. Malchiodi C. (London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd; ), 33–49.
• Potash J. S., Chen J. Y., Tsang J. P. Y. (2015). Medical student mandala making for holistic well-being. Med. Humanit. 42 17–25. 10.1136/medhum-2015-010717
• Rigby M., Taubert M. (2016). Art of medicine: colouring books for adults on the cancer ward. Br. Med. J. 352:h6795 10.1136/bmj.h6795
• Shapiro S. L., Carlson L. E. (2009). The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Publications; 10.1037/11885-000
• van der Vennet R., Serice S. (2012). Can coloring mandalas reduce anxiety? A replication study. Art Ther. 29 87–92. 10.1080/10615806.2015.1076798
• When Did Coloring Books Become Mindful? Exploring the Effectiveness of a Novel Method of Mindfulness-Guided Instructions for Coloring Books to Increase Mindfulness and Decrease Anxiety PMCID: PMC5797627