For students, it’s that point in the semester when midterms are beginning to occupy our entire day-to-day schedules. Whether it’s taking an actual test, studying for one, or going to reviews sessions, they seem to take up every ounce of our focus.

Colleges and universities do their best to try and keep our stress levels down, providing us with everything from puppies, to yoga sessions, to sweet snacks that give our energy a boost. But the one thing they haven’t tried that seems to be such an obvious fix lately is the newest trend of stress relievers – adult coloring books.

The craze of these many patterned books has blown up over the past year. Their pictures consist of elaborate patterns, causing you to fill them in in very repetitive, balanced designs. Focusing on something as satisfactory as the meditative action these coloring books provide really takes your mind off all the other work and studying looming over you, and lowers stress by allowing you to focus on one thing instead of everything during the stressful times that are midterms and finals.

Another benefit to these books is that you don’t have to feel as guilty about procrastinating when using them to tune out and ignore the anxieties around you for a while. Once you finish one of the elaborate patterns and see that you’ve actually created something, you feel much more productive than if you were to simply shut your brain down completely and binge watch Netflix for a couple hours.

All these benefits come with the joys of being able to be an adult and still have it be acceptable to color in a coloring book. But the best part by far is the variety. The choices in themes of the books are absolutely endless. There are different animal themes, different sceneries, gardens, castles, mandala patterns; even fandoms have had their own adult coloring books added to their list of merchandise! The only thing better than coloring to de-stress is coloring to de-stress in a Harry Potter themed coloring book.

So when it comes time for finals and students begin to be swallowed up by their hectic, stress filled schedules once again, schools should consider this new method of relaxation. As calming as petting puppies can be, giving adult coloring books away to tense and fatigued students could be just as, if not more, beneficial.