Cancer Patients Receive Many Benefits From Coloring
Adult coloring books and coloring pages have become a bit of a craze in recent years. But did you know that there are proven health and cognitive benefits to coloring?
Studies have demonstrated that coloring has a calming effect on individuals, making it a great way to relax, relieve stress, and promote mental health. For patients undergoing cancer treatment, coloring can provide significant everyday benefits and promote a positive outlook.
It is not unusual for cancer patients to feel feelings of depression, anger, sadness, anxiety, and fear. These emotions can cause changes to the body and mind (even our cells) that can hamper recovery efforts.
How does coloring help cancer patients? Coloring is a simple, proven way to help children with cancer and adults with cancer by reducing stress, boosting the immune system, and more.
Coloring Provides Temporary Relief From Anxiety
It is clinically proven that coloring can be an effective remedy for stress. The anxiety-reducing effect of coloring has been shown in studies on both adults and children.
Coloring can be therapeutic for anyone coping with anxiety, depression, and stress. While stress, anxiety are negative feelings that activate the left side of the brain, coloring stimulates the right side. Keeping the right brain busy and engaged in calming or creative activities promotes positive thoughts while minimizing stress and anxiety.
Think about coloring as a type of meditation or relaxation technique that focuses the mind. Combining the focus with design elements like soothing colors and creative, repetitive patterns can genuinely help people remain calm during times of stress.
Coloring Is a Therapeutic Technique That Can Ease Cancer Symptoms
Patients undergoing chemotherapy infusions or radiation treatments are advised to color as a way of getting through their treatment.
Coloring provides a way for patients to focus on something other than their treatment. It allows them to temporarily forget about the pain or discomfort and focuses their attention elsewhere.
People with cancer can do very few other things during treatments to actively occupy their minds.
Coloring books have become an excellent form of creative therapy that can help reduce anxiety, stress, pain, and discomfort. Patients report that they enjoy the process of coloring and often find personal satisfaction in their results at the end of treatment.
Coloring Has Been Shown to Boost Your Immune System
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments are at a higher risk for infections, colds, and other illnesses because the treatments themselves weaken their immune systems. But the stress of cancer also places a tremendous burden on the immune system.
Cortisol is a hormone that our bodies produce when we are stressed. High levels of this hormone can weaken our immune system. The more stress we feel, the more cortisol we make, and the weaker our immune systems become.
Anything we can do to lower our anxiety or reduce stress aids in improving our immune systems because it lowers our cortisol production. Studies show that coloring is one activity that diminishes the cortisol in our body and can strengthen our immune system.
People with cancer who engage in activities that reduce stress – like coloring, yoga, or mediation – are providing extra support to their immune systems that can actually have substantial medical benefits.
Coloring Can Help People Get a Better Night’s Sleep
As we have said, coloring promotes relaxation, which is vital for a good night’s sleep. Coloring helps to focus the brain on a task that can often be soothing and productive. The repetitive process of color selection and applying colors to the page naturally calms anxiety, reducing stress levels.
Everyone knows that using electronic devices before bed is not a good idea. Coloring can be an excellent bedtime activity without adverse effects. Studies have shown that people who color before bed have greater feelings of contentedness and self-esteem than those who don’t. Why? Because they are able to focus on a colorful, creative activity before bed instead of the long, tiring, stressful day.
Coloring Can Help Improve Memory Recall
Since many patients are reading or studying material about their disease, they must be able to retain as much information as possible. Coloring helps with this, and many cancer patients use coloring books during appointments to help them keep information.
Coloring might also help combat chemo brain. This is a side effect of chemotherapy where memory and cognitive abilities decline. Limited studies show that patients who color might have better concentration and memory recall than those who don’t.
Coloring Contributes to Overall Well-Being
Coloring books can boost self-esteem and reduce anxiety for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Anything that helps promote a positive attitude may help heal the body and the mind!
We can all relate to the fact that we often feel better when we do things we enjoy.
The sense of satisfaction from completing a picture, design, or entire coloring book can make patients feel better about themselves when cancer takes their physical strength away for a time.
Coloring allows the mind to be active in an enjoyable way while taking some needed rest at the same time.
Coloring Has Benefits for Children With Cancer
Children who are undergoing cancer treatment can also benefit from coloring books. It helps them express themselves and address their emotions without being destructive or disruptive like art therapy can. Kids can express their feelings in a healthy way using crayons, colored pencils, or other art supplies.
Coloring is also an excellent activity to combat boredom. Chemotherapy treatments can be long and tedious, especially for kids. Coloring books or coloring pages are a great way to occupy a restless child and focus their attention on a positive task while they endure treatment.
Contact Us to Send Gift Baskets to Cancer Patients
If you are looking for an excellent way to let a friend or family member know you are thinking of them and their cancer journey, send a cancer gift basket from Rock the Treatment.
We know the importance of making sure cancer patients have the tools they need to relax and feel comfortable during and after chemotherapy and radiation. This is why we ensure our cancer gift baskets contain items designed to help cope with the physical and emotional effects of cancer- including adult coloring books and coloring books for children!
If someone you love has cancer, send them a helpful cancer gift basket from Rock The Treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation gift baskets are packed with the essentials needed to ease side effects of treatment, as well as enhance physical and mental well-being. See all of our cancer care packages and find the one that best supports their journey.
