How I Discovered the Calming Power of Coloring (and What the Science Says)

 

The Calming Power of Coloring

A few years ago, I bought a coloring book on a whim. It was one of those intricate, mandala-style ones you find in the “self-care” aisle — all swirling vines and tiny flowers that demanded a level of focus I wasn’t used to. I didn't expect it to change much. I certainly didn’t expect it to become a tool I’d rely on during anxious spirals.

But as I sat there with my colored pencils, something strange happened. The noise in my head — the racing thoughts, the catastrophizing, the pressure to “fix” everything — started to quiet down. I wasn't solving anything, but I wasn't spiraling either. I was just… coloring.

It gave my brain something to focus on, and provided a much needed "vacation" from the worrying. 

The Surprising Science Behind It

Coloring is considered a form of active meditation. Repetitive motion, visual focus, and creative decision-making can activate a relaxed brainwave state (often alpha waves), similar to what’s seen during yoga, prayer, or breathing exercises. 

This meditative state lowers heart rate, reduces cortisol, and helps calm the nervous system — particularly the amygdala, which is central to the stress response.

Coloring isn’t just child’s play — it engages a unique blend of focus and creativity that can help calm the brain. Psychologists refer to this as structured creativity: a balance between self-expression and predictable patterns. Research shows that when we color, especially within the lines of structured designs, our brains enter a meditative-like state that reduces anxiety and promotes mindfulness.

A study by Curry & Kasser found that structured coloring activities, such as mandalas, significantly reduced anxiety levels—more so than unstructured coloring or free drawing. It supports the idea that having creative freedom within a defined form provides a calming psychological effect.

They also explained that coloring engages the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for concentration and decision-making. When you're selecting colors and staying within lines, your attention is directed toward a simple, non-threatening task. This displaces anxious or intrusive thoughts, much like mindfulness or meditation does.

Coloring is a form of active mindfulness—you’re not zoning out, you’re zoning in. The act of focusing on small decisions, repetitive motion, and immediate visual feedback helps anchor your awareness in the present moment. This mindful engagement has been shown to reduce rumination and anxious thinking by redirecting attention away from stressors and toward the calming rhythm of the task.

A study by Mantzios & Giannou demonstrated that brief sessions of mindful coloring significantly improved attention and reduced anxiety and stress among participants, supporting its use as a focused, present-centered activity.

Coloring and the Anxious Brain

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term flow to describe the state of being fully immersed in an activity. Coloring encourages this by balancing low-stakes challenge and skill, creating a soothing rhythm that promotes present-moment awareness.

People with anxiety often struggle with overactivity in the brain’s default mode network, the system responsible for mind-wandering and self-referential thoughts (think rumination, worry, "what ifs"). Activities that require gentle concentration — like coloring — reduce activity in this network.

In fact, a 2017 study published in Art Therapy found that coloring for just 20 minutes significantly reduced anxiety levels in adults, particularly when working on structured designs like mandalas.

What makes this even more interesting is how it aligns with what we know about trauma and stress: when you're in a dysregulated state, activities that engage the prefrontal cortex (the thinking/planning part of your brain) in a gentle, non-threatening way help restore a sense of control and calm.

Coloring provides a nonverbal outlet for emotional expression. People may not always be able to articulate stress or sadness, but creative activities like coloring can help them process emotions safely and constructively.

This is why coloring is used in art therapy to help individuals build emotional insight, gain perspective, and develop self-soothing tools.

Engaging in a relaxing, screen-free activity like coloring in the evening can support better sleep hygiene by encouraging the brain to unwind and transition out of high-alert, overstimulated states. By focusing attention on a calming task, coloring reduces mental noise and discourages rumination—a repetitive, negative thought cycle common in both anxiety and depression. Studies have found that even short periods of mindful coloring can significantly reduce rumination and improve mood regulation.

More Than a Hobby

Coloring won’t solve everything. It’s not a replacement for therapy, medication, or meaningful social support. But it can be a part of a healing toolkit — a gentle entry point into mindfulness for those who find traditional meditation too hard to sit with.

For me, it’s become a way to check in. When I feel myself spiraling, I don’t always have the words. But I do have a box of colored pencils, and a page waiting to be filled.

And sometimes, that’s enough.

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🔗 Want to learn more about how coloring supports mental health? Check out my main article here:
👉 Does Coloring Really Reduce Anxiety?