Why coloring books can help adults decompress

Recently, various coloring books sold abroad have swept the Chinese market with lightning speed. Many people claim that this book can treat depressed emotions and even make the disease better. What secrets are hidden in this book?

What kind of book is this? It is a collection of black and white paintings. Readers can choose any color to color it. There are various cute animals and fascinating scenery hidden in this secret garden. It is an adult coloring book created by British illustrator Johanna Besford. It has been on the market for less than two years and has sold nearly 1.5 million copies! 

On the official website of the British "Guardian", some readers said that his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer, became depressed because of the sudden increase in stress, and then recovered through adult coloring books. Another one also said that coloring is like "art therapy" to help his mother get out of the sadness of the death of a loved one, and he was also attracted after he came into contact with coloring, and thus began the process of systematically learning to paint.

So why is it possible to produce such a good effect just by painting a single color pattern?

It actually uses projection technology. Projection refers to the process of perceptual and objective stimulation consistent with individual interests, desires, fears and expectations. Readers fill in patterns by choosing colors arbitrarily, and express joy or sadness according to their preferences. The materials of these paintings are relatively vague, and readers can freely create without distinction of right and wrong. It mainly reflects personality tendencies and emotional states, as well as cognitive processes and styles to varying degrees.

So why express your inner emotions? This is actually a form of externalization of the problem. Only when the long-storage emotions in your heart are displayed can you analyze the source of the problem and find a solution. In painting therapy, the therapist sees you through your paintings To further help you solve the problem.

However, have we not analyzed our own problems ten or even a hundred times in our minds? Why reproduce such behavior through painting? Because this form of painting can help you build a calm curiosity. If you look at the problem objectively in the way of painting, you will see more clearly. Converting our brain's thinking into an independent entity for observation is a powerful strategy for problem analysis and resolution, called cognitive dissociation. 

In the feedback from readers of "Secret Garden", we have seen that most people commented that they can calm down and immerse themselves in painting. This is the manifestation of the effect of cognitive dissociation. The separation of emotion and thinking through painting is more helpful for treatment.

So how do the patterns in the coloring book actually work? One of the main forms of painting therapy is mandala painting, which was first invented by psychologist Jung. He believes that mandala painting has the function of integrating psychological division, enhancing psychological harmony and integrity of personality. There have been many studies on mandala painting abroad. Research on treatment has shown that mandala and structural coloring can help reduce anxiety, and mandala painting is better than structural coloring. Scientists discovered that after drawing mandala, self-awareness and subjective well-being have been significantly improved. Among the many patterns in "Secret Garden", there are patterns similar to mandala. Readers may be able to heal themselves by filling in their favorite colors.