Green, blue, orange, pink, red, purple, yellow…a vivid rainbow of colors floods the pages and blurs my eyes as I stare at the finished pages in the book.

The stress relieving coloring books are certainly a hot trend in 2016, and they truly do put the mind at ease. Drawing onto white and black outlined pages seems like a pastime that was a common occurrence in elementary school. After completing a page, you feel oddly accomplished and noticeably tranquil. The act of setting aside the worries of the day and focusing on the lines the markers make on the page resembles a trance. This trance is simply awareness, being fully evoked in the present without distractions.

I admit that I am addicted to my phone. The glow of the screen makes people less attentive of their surroundings outside of the six by three-inch virtual reality. Substituting the screen before bed for an outlined and detailed figure on a page allows the mind to decompress.

College students are constantly busy with the routine stressors throughout the week, and it isn’t always simple to “just relax.” Whether it is between classes or lounging in a room, taking the colored pencils or markers out encourages the mind to be creative and process the events of the day.

Coloring books are appropriate for people of all ages. The benefits one gains from being mindful is rewarding and is an inexpensive form of therapy. Meditation is often daunting, but in this form, it is doable and realistic.