At first glance, a coloring book may conjure up some childhood memories. Perhaps it was a Disney princess book, or maybe "Star Wars;" coloring books were always a fun activity. And the best part was you only had to color within the lines -- no expertise necessary!

But now, the coloring book is ready to take on a new role: stress relief for adults. These new coloring books no longer have large pictures of Frozen characters or Sesame Street scenes. The pages are filled with intricate designs, often inspired by the eastern designs of mandalas and concentric circles. These books are not for your average child; each bit of white space is small and sharp-edged, needing a steady adult hand to color.

The process of choosing which colors to put in which spaces and matching colors with each other has been proven to be relaxing. A psychologist quoted in the Huffington Post, Gloria Martinez Ayala, says "The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colors. This incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills [coordination necessary to make small, precise movements]. The relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress."

You may remember how engrossed you could get into your coloring books as a child, completely forgetting the world around you. This same effect is true for adults who take up coloring. It is relaxing, as the artist becomes focused on the drawing at hand, letting go the worries and stress of the day. You may have given a coloring book to a child you babysat, knowing the effects. Now, you may consider gifting yourself with one of these books!

I personally was a bit skeptical to the idea at first. I don’t consider myself to be incredibly creative, and I certainly would not boast about my artistic abilities. But when I bought one of these coloring books, it became clear that I could make something beautiful without being incredibly talented. Each page was already so intricate and hypnotizing in just black and white, surely any color I chose to use would enhance the picture.

I sat down and started to color, from the inside of the mandala toward the edges of the page. I didn’t realize that two hours had passed when I had finished the first few circles. Instead of watching mindless TV and subconsciously worrying about my schoolwork, I was able to relax and clear my mind while creating something beautiful. After a couple days of sitting down for an hour or so, I finished the page. It was mesmerizing. While I probably could have chosen better colors in some spots, it didn’t matter. I was pleased with this coloring page, and I actually felt the most relaxed I’ve felt since my days as a beached whale at the beach this past summer.

Still skeptical? Try it for yourself! There are multiple books currently available at your local craft store. I personally recommend this one: