Assessment
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Quick Win
Reap the anxiety-reducing benefits of coloring — no artistic ability required!
Try This Today
- Buy an adult coloring book the next time you’re at the store, or shop for one online. You can also download and print free mandala coloring pages from websites like MondayMandala.com.
- Gather some crayons, markers, colored pencils or colorful pens and get coloring!
- Try sitting down to color the next time you feel stressed. It’s also a low-stress way to pass the time while waiting at the vet, the auto shop or your health care provider’s office.
Why
Adult coloring books have been popular for years, and it’s easy to see why: They’re portable, they don’t require you to have any artistic skill and they can help ease anxiety. In a study of 88 adults ages 18 to 65 with generalized anxiety disorder, those who colored in a coloring book five times a week in addition to receiving conventional treatment (anti-anxiety medication and physical therapy) appeared to have significantly less anxiety after three weeks than those who only did conventional treatment. The study was published in 2022 in Animal Models and Experimental Medicine.
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