Because you found this blog post, I think that you have a tough and busy everyday life, too. Maybe you have a demanding job, or maybe your life is burdensome in other ways.
After a hectic day your brain is on overdrove, your heart might beat irregularly, the blood pressure is high and you feel uneasy. If you get your body as well as your mind to unwind as soon as possible after your day at work, you will have the whole evening to do something more pleasurable. For example, you can have time for your hobbies, meet your friends, or do something else that you enjoy.
A good and an efficient way to calm yourself is to color.
When you focus on the coloring, you tend to turn off your unpleasant thoughts and thus your brain gets a rest. As a result, your mind as well as your body relax and calm down.
A few more tips to get additional benefits:
1) Choose a mandala or a repeating pattern that you find beautiful
2) Color it with green-toned markers or gel pens
A pleasant picture is the most important starting point. Simply by looking at the beautiful picture your mind begins to soothe, little by little.
Mandalas and repetitive patterns are the best coloring pictures to quiet the mind. Repetitive, mechanical action helps you to focus on this moment.
Different shades of green have a calming and soothing effect. Besides them, you can also use shades of blue and violet .
With gel pens, you get intense colors easily. When coloring with gel pens, you have to make quite small strokes, which has a calming effect as well.
With alcohol markers, you get a smooth and beautiful surface, which helps to clear your mind.
Pens: Finecolour
Book: Mental Images vol 2