Many people use cannabis for stress relief and relaxation but coloring should not be overlooked as it can significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms and reduce anxiety.
I know this firsthand. I never thought coloring would be such a relief. It was an activity that I had enjoyed but rarely took the time to partake in until it became a sense of comfort in a time of worry.
It took a while to find the right coloring pages and tools.
Crayons felt good in my hand but the tips would break easily, colored pencils had their soothing sound although it took a little more effort and alcohol markers were so exciting I bought two packs but the pools of ink were annoying and I needed the right paper.
Often it felt like when I was choosing what to color an option would appear that would be so enticing with its beautiful intricate design that I wouldn’t be able to deny it. I would take my coloring tools of choice out, set everything up and start the timer because otherwise it could wind up in a flurry. A quick session would take place and I would begin to color.
The movement of coloring itself would be hypnotizing, until I was 20 minutes in and my coloring pages had only a tiny portion of the design finished. I would tell myself “just keep coloring a little bit more and it will look nice”, but it was never rewarding. At this point I would be longing for the sense of completeness instead and I would feel obligated to finish it later. They were never finished.
I decided that I had attempted my last mandala coloring design and that I would create what I wanted to color.
I started to design my own coloring pages with pictures that made me smile. Also I made sure they were simple but fun and could be finished in one sitting. There’s a sense of accomplishment when you finish and the entire design is fully colored. The designs got better and I would start to bring them with me. Often I found myself coloring in public when I was in between appointments. Sometimes people wanted to know where I got my pages I would give them out if I had extra at the time.
I am now making them available in your inbox every Thursday if you are interested.
There are cannabis related coloring pages that are not overly complex and can be completed in one sitting. I hope they bring you the sense of comfort they brought me when I was having some health issues and feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed. Life will have its challenges and I hope that these can make you smile when you need it most.