Nonfiction

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety

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Nikki VanRy

Contributing Editor

Nikki VanRy is a proud resident of Arizona, where she gets to indulge her love of tacos, desert storms, and tank tops. She also writes for the Tucson Festival of Books, loves anything sci-fi/fantasy/historical, drinks too much chai, and will spend all day in bed reading thankyouverymuch. Follow her on Instagram @nikki.vanry.

I was a bit standoffish when it first came to adult coloring books. I could understand the idea of them, sure, but I didn’t quite know why I needed them in my life. I had too much stuff going on to spend my time coloring. Bleh.

Then I got gifted one, had a few stressful weeks, and figured it out.

Adult coloring books are amazing, because they give you a space to not do anything. I needed adult coloring books, specifically because I had too much stuff going on. Instead of aimlessly looking at my phone when I got overwhelmed, I could use my hands and zone out into them for a bit.

Now, when I’m stressed or anxious, I flip open a page, spend an hour on a design, and typically by the end of that time, my stress and anxiety have dissipated. Anxiety compounds when we ruminate over the small nub of it, but research has actually shown that focusing on another task for as little as two minutes can help break that cycle.

We all know books help us when we feel anxious. With the newest adult coloring books, there’s another way to find a little calm and relaxation between the pages. These seven books, in particular, are meant to help when life is especially overwhelming.

 

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety | BookRiot.com

The Calm Coloring Book by Patience Coster

 

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety | BookRiot.com

The Mindfulness Coloring Book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People by Emma Farrarons

 

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety | BookRiot.com

Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns by Blue Star Coloring

 

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety | BookRiot.com

Creative Therapy: An Anti-Stress Coloring Book by Hannah Davies, Richard Merritt, and Jo Taylor

 

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety | BookRiot.com

Color Me Stress-Free by Lacy Mucklow and Angela Porter

 

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety | BookRiot.com

Anti-Stress Colouring: doodle & dream by Christina Rose

 

 

7 Adult Coloring Books for Stress and Anxiety | BookRiot.com

The Sweary Coloring Book for Adults from CreateSpace Publishing (for when you just really need some stress-relieving swearing in an artful way)

Need even more adult coloring books? We’ve listed our favorite coloring books based on novels or museum pieces, as well. Do you have any other adult coloring books that you love?