I don’t know about you, but the disastrous end of 2018 just flowed in 2019 and brought a ton of stress with it. I was eagerly looking for small tricks to help shed stress. Walks in nature, meditation and gratitude practices all came into play, but so did this small yet wonderful gift from Pen: an adult coloring book.
Titled “Maybe Swearing Will Help,” the adult coloring book is filled with motivational humor, puns and, yes, lots of cursing. It’s wickedly funny, and humor will almost always help with stress. But more than that, it allows you to de-stress as you focus on the project in front of you.
You don’t need to be a great artist to make this work. You don’t need to have a ton of free time. You don’t even have to finish each picture you start. Just grab some markers, crayons or colored pencils and get to coloring.
You’ll be amazed at how turning your focus to this one thing, will (at least temporarily) free yourself from stress. For me, it has been hugely helpful. It has given me much needed moments to breathe and focus my thoughts on a singular task rather than dealing with the racing thoughts that frequently accompany my stressful moments.
Do you have a favorite project that you turn to when your mind (or body) needs calming?
