Over the last couple of years coloring for adults has become a worldwide phenomenon and not just because it brings us back to those magical child days, but surprisingly due to its health benefits. The world we live in today is full of stress and constant motion. It is difficult to disconnect yourself from work or whatever else you have going on, all it takes is one notification to pop up on your phone and even if you are relaxing on your front porch you are right back in the thick of it.

Coloring has been shown to reduce stress levels which can consequently lead to a healthier life in many ways. Here are 4 health problems that you can help prevent with the stress relieving properties of coloring:

Heart Disease

Research shows that people who report being stressed more often have a much higher chance of developing some type of heart disease. Stress can raise the heart rate and cause the release of more cholesterol and triglycerides into the bloodstream.

Coloring has been shown to reduce stress because of the heightened amount of focus it requires. When you are working on an intricate and detailed design your brain has a hard time thinking about anything else and thus reduces your stress levels.

Obesity

Studies show that prolonged periods of high stress can raise the levels of a hormone called cortisol in the blood. This hormone increases our body’s fat retention. This is left over from our ancestors who would struggle to find food on a daily basis. As they started to go hungry and became stressed about it their body would become better at retaining the fat from the food they did find. Unfortunately in our current society this is not helpful anymore and can instead lead to obesity which carries severe consequences like diabetes and increased chance of heart disease.

By spending 30 minutes to an hour a day coloring along with other relaxation techniques you can start to lower your stress and with it the levels of cortisol in your blood. This will make it much easier to maintain a healthy weight

Headaches and Migraines

Stress is one of the leading triggers for headaches and migraines. When you are stressed you tend to tighten your neck and back muscles, this increased tightness is shown to cause tension headaches. High levels of stress can also cause some people to clench their jaws or grind their teeth during sleep. This sends tremors up to the brain where it can cause severe headaches and migraines.

By spending a few minutes before going to bed coloring you can lower your stress levels just before bed which will then help ease your neck muscles and stop you from clenching and grinding your teeth.

Accelerated Aging

A study comparing the aging of mothers who lived in high stress situations for an extended amount of time (caring for a chronically ill child) and those who weren't showed that stress can cause you to age prematurely by up to 14 years. This can also be seen in the accelerated aging of people who spend prolonged amounts of time working a high stress job like that of the presidency.

Making coloring a part of your daily routine during long periods of high stress you can help to diminish the effects that that stress can play on reducing your lifespan.

At the end of the day coloring is not only something that over a long period of time can be beneficial for your health and well being, but it is also fun. The important thing is to find a theme that you enjoy working on. Whether you love to color animals, geometric shapes, or different landmarks the most important thing is to find a way to keep your stress levels low.

Happy Coloring!