Let’s get nerdy for a second.
When you color, you're doing something psychologists call structured creativity, a low-stakes, rhythmic task that’s just challenging enough to hold your attention without overwhelming your brain. And that does wonders for your nervous system.
What’s actually happening:
Your prefrontal cortex (home of rational thinking and decision-making) lights up, giving you a boost in focus and clarity.
Your amygdala (the panic room of your brain) quiets down, lowering anxiety and emotional reactivity.
Your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, moving you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-restore mode.
In short?
Coloring helps your brain hit the reset button.
And in high-pressure environments, recovery is strategy.
Science Backs It:
A 2005 study in Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association showed that coloring mandalas significantly reduced anxiety, even more than free drawing.
Mindfulness researchers have found that coloring produces similar brainwave patterns to meditation without needing total silence or lotus position.
Neuropsychologist Dr. Stan Rodski’s work with high-stress professionals showed that coloring just 20 minutes a day reduced cortisol levels and boosted concentration.
“It’s not about making art—it’s about giving the brain a predictable, low-stakes task where it can rest and reorganize.” – Dr. Rodski
Why It Matters in the Boardroom:
When you're stuck in reactive mode, your decisions get sloppy.
Coloring helps you reclaim the calm needed to make smart, strategic calls even when the pressure’s spiking.
Instead of grinding through every stressful moment, smart leaders recharge mid-battle.
Sometimes with a marker in hand.
Ready to Try It?
You’ve read the research. Now it’s time to color like your leadership depends on it.
Because it does.
Before your next strategy session, sales sprint, or “we need a miracle” meeting, try this:
Download one of my Troalkind-inspired coloring pages
Grab a pen, pencil, or whatever you’ve got lying around
Set a timer for 5 minutes
And let your mind slow down so it can speed back up, clearer, calmer, sharper
Want some background magic while you color?
Listen to this week’s Troalkind Tales podcast episode, where fantasy meets focus and the trolls might just teach you more about leadership than your last webinar.
Get your free coloring page, explore the Color Story Packs, and unlock a more creative you:
Come for the trolls. Stay for the stress relief.
Because sometimes, the boldest move you can make…
is to pick up a crayon in a world of clickbait and chaos.
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