“Waves” in your life can be anything that causes discomfort, physically, mentally, or otherwise. I was recently fortunate to vacation in the beautiful and oh-so-very green and friendly country of Ireland. Ten plus hours on a plane was a crashing wave for me, not because of flying but because of claustrophobia.  The plane was enclosed enough, let alone even considering a trip to the bathroom! I was afraid once we landed in Ireland, I would be so afraid of getting back on a long flight that I just wouldn’t!

While wandering through a local bookstore, I stumbled upon  the Mindfulness Coloring Book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People (created by Emma Farrarons). I quickly removed it from the shelf and added it to the many items I had packed to keep my mind busy on a long flight. My dear friends and travel mates chuckled when I pulled this book out along with some brightly colored pencils. Indeed, it was part of my roundtrip  success on two loooonng international flights. Thankfully I conquered this wave and was able to fly home.

A week after I returned home, I enthusiastically read an article in Parade Magazine touting that coloring is this summer’s hottest trend for adults. Parade even has some free coloring page downloads here. The experts (I always wonder who they are) agree that coloring engages both sides of your brain and is calming and relaxing.

While looking for those restorative moments in your day, how about a bit of coloring?