It’s Week 7 of our 8 Weeks of Giving series! Each week, our goal is to do a different activity that can lift up those around us (and ourselves) and support greater wellbeing in our community. We’re dedicating our series to activities that can support mental health, whether that’s directly or indirectly.
This week, Meg, our copywriter, planned a very “colorful” mindfulness activity for the team.
Here’s what Meg has to share about it:
The holiday season – at work and at home – moves at a frenetic pace. As much as we love the chorus concerts, ugly sweater contests, and cookie exchanges, mid-December can leave us overextended and overwhelmed. This week, our team of creatives, daughters, partners, caregivers, and moms felt the pressure rising, so we took time out to color.
Coloring relaxes the fear center of your brain – the amygdala. Interestingly, it has the same effect as meditating, as it calms a restless mind. On a particularly busy Wednesday, each team member selected a coloring page that inspired joy. Sandy chose a magical unicorn; Meg chose a flower; Sophie chose words of inspiration; and Ellen chose a puppy. For a peaceful 15-minute block, we silenced the noise in our brains, turned off notifications on our phones, and focused on colors, patterns, and breath.
Fifteen minutes of intense focus had their intended effect, as we felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. This activity colored our day with happiness, and hopefully it inspires the same for you!
You might be thinking, “No way would I ever have time to color during the workday!” We can understand! It was great to experience the benefits of how taking 15 minutes out of the day to refresh ourselves as a team set us up for success the rest of the day.
Have you ever considered leading a mindfulness activity for your team? If you’d like to try coloring, you can download some pictures to color here.
‘Til next time,
Sandy
