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Colouring has been linked to stress relief.
Colouring has been linked to stress relief.

By Rebecca McDonough
Edited for online by Tobi Loftus

Colouring books are no longer just for kids.

Colouring books for adults are in high demand and have been linked to stress relief.

ANZ, Westfarmers and Bupa are reportedly giving colouring books to staff to help relieve workplace stress.

Michael Keen from Folio Books said they had always stocked the books, but had recently noticed a sharp increase in the number of people buying them.

“We probably sell as many as we can get in,” Mr Keen said.

He said the range of books have grown as demand has.

“We used to have just a couple of the Secret Garden and the Enchanted Forest, but since it’s become more popular we stock all kinds.

“We have Fantasy Garden, flower ones and art-deco patterns and designs.”

QUT Business School Adjunct Professor George Cairns says there are better ways to relieve stress.

“The notion that people actually colouring in pieces of so called artwork and been produced by somebody else is in any way creative or therapeutic seems to me to be nonsensical,” Professor Cairns said.

“I think that these types of fads come and go all of the time.”

Professor Cairns said he encouraged people to engage in art therapy but they should go back to the basics, start with a blank canvas and make their own designs.

Art Therapist Yaro Starak says art therapy is growing as more people become aware of the benefits.

“It certainly has been growing in the past three or four years,” Mr Starak said.

“Maybe because we’re paying attention to it, we see it everywhere.

“The people who do counselling and therapy keep saying to us we have expanded our ability to help people, to enable people to develop themselves in a much more creative way than just solving a problem.”