By _7_8_9__1 - 12/01/2016 03:25 - United States

Today, my anxiety was escalating so I decided to try an anti-anxiety adult coloring book to calm myself down. Too bad I got more stressed out about which colors I should use. FML
I agree, your life sucks 21 581
You deserved it 4 014

_7_8_9__1 tells us more.

OP here! I love coloring, but the designs in my favorite book are so complex, it's difficult to find a number of compatible colors. I was trying to use mostly bright colors and ran out of selections. I am already medicated and in therapy for my anxiety along with other things. @18 thank you for the advice! I might do that one day and I'll let you know how it goes!

Top comments

Unleash your four year old self and color everything the same color scribbles with hints of weird Browns and rainbow **** ups

snarkytruth 37

Don't get caught up in how it's going to look when it's done. It's the process of putting the color onto the paper that's relaxing. Not the end product. Try crayons, pencils, markers or paint. Find your favorite medium and enjoy playing. Limit your colors and it's a lot easier to choose and not stress over colors. . Only shades of blues (call it your blue period lol) or choose only three or four that compliment each other. Mandela patterns are great to start with there are no rules, right or wrong. Or simply don't choose at all, close your eyes and just pick one up and go with it. Title it Serendipity. Do that on a blank page charge $300 and it's modern art! It is YOUR art It only has to make YOU happy. Practice letting that uptight feeling go. Do a couple of pages intentionally going for the ugliest you can imagine like those ugly Christmas sweaters. Or opposite colors green sky, blue grass, black sun, purple people whatever. Just concentrate on the movement and textures. Explore what color combos are most pleasing to you. Just enjoy the doing of it. It's the journey not the destination yadda yadda.... If you really hate the picture when you're done paint over it or just tear it out destroy it and toss it in the trash and it never existed. ;) Start all over again and try something different. I like to print several copies of the same page and try out different color combinations when I figure out what I like best then do that on the sheet in the book. It makes the book last longer and I get more coloring time out of it. Only rule is to have fun.

Comments

Maybe you should try a color-by-number instead :) just a thought!

I've been there, or if you don't want any repeat colors, but you've already used all the colors you have.

I've had that too. Maybe try working with multiple shades of one colour or a colour scheme like warm or cool colours (:

Thank god. I thought it was just me. No too similar colors can be too near each other, etc, etc. Decorating a Christmas tree is a nightmare. I have to have a few drinks just to attempt it.

OP here! I love coloring, but the designs in my favorite book are so complex, it's difficult to find a number of compatible colors. I was trying to use mostly bright colors and ran out of selections. I am already medicated and in therapy for my anxiety along with other things. @18 thank you for the advice! I might do that one day and I'll let you know how it goes!

I have been using a pack of 24 crayola pencils and just blending. Good luck.

I bought me a nice set of Prismacolors, the scholar set. They are cheaper on amazon than in stores. They almost look like you are coloring with markers. I also color to help with my anxiety.

Lol I know that exact feeling, I also got a "therapeutic" coloring book with Star Wars themed stuff, and a lot of the pictures were in need of shading, which I know little about. I also got a set of colored pencils with it, and there were no decent flesh tones. Now Princess Leia looks like she tried to get a spray tan to cover up a sunburn.

So Leia looks like she's from Jersey Shore? I've never seen the show but I've heard jokes about them having orange spray tans so that's the first thing that came to mind. It gave me a good laugh at least so thanks for that. A Star Wars coloring book sounds like fun. At least you'll know what color to use if need to color Ahoska (who's skin basically is orange) or accents for BB-8.

Screw the lines make your own picture.

If a simple coloring book gave you anxiety, you need to see a doctor about psychiatric help or medication. Anxiety is no joke.

Omg been there so many times, I start asking others peoples opinions and everything

omg. lol you sound like me. you're not alone. it's okay.