Adult Coloring Books For Memory Improvement

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Do adult coloring books really help you relax and fulfil other claims people make about their value?

For example, some people claim that this simple activity reduces anxiety.

Naturally, as a researcher working on claims like this, I was immediately interested.

I got a lot more than I bargained for when I started combining primary and secondary research.

Because what I discovered is that coloring books designed for an older audience certainly did reduce my anxiety.

But even better, they also provided a path to memory improvement.

But before we get into the magic of that …

There are a few huge problems people interested in exploring this form of relaxation and self improvement face.

1. Not enough time.

2. Not enough creativity.

3. Not enough relaxation.

Let’s deal with each of these in order and see how adult coloring books can help.

Then we’ll look at their role in improving memory.

How To Wrestle Time Into Submission
And Win Every Time

As researchers have found,  spending time with adult coloring books has indeed been proven to reduce stress and anxiety.

But there’s a catch. Many people feel that they just don’t have the time to sit around coloring.

Fortunately, the problem of time is easily solved.

For starters, stop telling yourself you don’t have enough time!

That’s the first step and an important one.

The more you tell yourself that time is running out, moving too fast and not on your side, the more you’re actually pushing the time you do have away. After all, you have time to spend thinking about how you don’t have time, right?

In reality, time can be your servant, and you can be its master. You just have to take control.

How? Well, as I talked about in Mandarin Chinese Mnemonics and Morning Memory Secrets, you need to let go out of the concept of discipline.

Seriously. People constantly tell me I’m such a disciplined person, but the truth is that I’m not any more or less disciplined than your average Manic Depressive alcoholic heroin-addict gutted with debt living in the gutter.

The difference is that I use rituals and systems. And I do so in a way that minimizes the need to be disciplined. Such as not acting like a person who already has a memory implant.

Can You Use My Daily Productivity Systems?

Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t believe you can carbon copy what another person does, which is why when it comes to mnemonics, memory improvement and creating your first rock-solid Memory Palace I teach you the Magnetic Memory Method. It’s a method that teaches you how to create your own system of Memory Palaces.

The same thing goes for learning how to control your time.

You’re never going to reproduce what anyone else does. But you can emulate their methods to create your own system. If adult coloring books become part of that, awesome.

But it all begins with saying “Yes!” to making a change and replacing discipline with systems.

Once you’ve got that under control, create an If-this-then-that sequence.

How To Fire Off The Perfect Time Control Sequence

Rules, as Tony Buzan said at a recent training I attended, set you free. Poets have known this for years. When Shakespeare submitted himself to the rules of the sonnet, for example, he managed to write X NUMBER of the most beautiful poems history has ever seen. That’s not to mention the glorious theatre he produced following other rules and guidelines at the level of dramatic structure and the sentence.

When it comes right down to it, constraints are not restrictive. They’re productive.

So my method is to chain together a number of “ifs” and then tie those to follow-up sequences to ensure that I’m living the life of my dreams. (Crazy, but yes, playing with adult coloring books while using memory techniques is part of my dream lifestyle.)

My “If-This-Then-That” Revealed …

Here’s a sample morning ritual sequence:

If I get up in the morning (which I always do), I meditate for 9 minutes.

If I meditate for 9 minutes, then I start the day off on solid footing with The Freedom Journal.

If I write in The Freedom Journal, then I study Chinese and learn 3 new words.

If I study Chinese and learn 3 new words, I write a minimum of 1000 words on a new book project.

If I write, I eat breakfast.

If I eat breakfast, then I memorized some playing cards.

If I memorize some playing cards, then the computer goes on.

Does It Always Work Out That Way?

Close, but not always exactly. For example, sometimes I eat before I meditate. Other times, I write before I study Chinese.

The actual elements of the chain are interchangeable except for the last one.

It’s the last one that matters the most because the computer is the great destroyer.

Why? Because …

We All Have Limited Discipline

Once the machine goes on, emails blast into my eyes. Friends and family Skype text me. Uploads fail. Shiny new objects glitter and grab my attention.

That’s why the important things must get done first.

Why I Grab Adult Coloring Books
Last Thing In The Day

The evening ritual unpacks and reinforces a lot of what the morning ritual established and follows the same pattern.

Although I’ve painted a picture of constant interruptions while the machine is on, I’m still quite productive. I make videos, write email, work on editing books and do all kinds of things during the day.

But everything proceeds towards a final computer curfew. That curfew rule states that the computer should go off at 9 p.m., but can stay on until 10 p.m. at the latest. I leave that window open because I’m a Realist and know that sometimes I’ll need the slack.

Plus, being draconian with the rules often just paves the path for breaking them. As I once heard it put, all too often, it is the law that creates the crime. States of exception are necessary and trying to fight against them often only makes them the norm.

Overall, the chain unfolds in a new equation. Instead of an “if this then that” pattern, it’s more like a “when this then that” sequence.

The “When-This-Then-That” Variation

For example:

When the computer goes off at nine, then I read.

When I finish reading, I use one of my adult coloring books to color and practice Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal.

When I practice recalling words in one of my adult coloring books, I recall the words I memorized earlier in the day first.

When I practice these words, I always try and jot them out in the form of a sentence. I don’t worry too much about accuracy. I focus on the practice of doing. Fearlessly and for fun.

And guess what? It truly is fun, and you get to sleep a lot better knowing that you’ve covered your primary goals for the day.

Why You Need More Creativity
And How To Ethically Steal It

That covers time. It’s a simple affair to get it under control and direct its power at your goals instead of being its slave. That only leads to dissatisfaction. Worse, not having time under your control builds up guilty feelings that destroy self-confidence. It’s a devil’s circle that only gets worse and worse as time goes on.

Creativity is the next issue you need to tackle. Fortunately, it’s even easier to control than time. You just need to make the time for exploring it.

Why do you need creativity?

First, if you’re going to use memory techniques, it’s essential because all Mnemonics rely on the ability to associate information you already know with information you don’t know. I like to think about it like magnetizing one thing so that it sticks to another.

It’s kind of like rubbing a balloon against your shirt and then letting the balloon hug up against the wall. It completely defies gravity, and it only takes a second to make the magic happen.

Creativity Solves Problems

You also need creativity to solve problems in the world, which is perhaps why adult coloring books seem like a weird way to get more of your creative faculties.

But when you’re completing a design in one of your adult coloring books and revisiting a Memory Palace journey using the Magnetic Memory Method, you’re not just exercising your memory. You’re developing your creativity and even your critical thinking abilities.

This cognitive workout occurs because you’re matching Memory Palace locations with images and playing a fun game of comparisons. Plus, you’re using rules in much the same way that Shakespeare used constraints to write amazing plays and sonnets.

And when you think about it, adult coloring books are an easy way to submit to the constraint of rules too. After all, you’re looking at a series of pre-designed lines and simply filling them in. This “submission” to formal constraints provided by others leaves your mind free to wander.

Why Information Is Like A Balloon
And Your Memory Is Like A Wall

And when it comes to using adult coloring books, you free yourself to yet another level of constraints.

I’m talking about the friendly and helpful rules of the Magnetic Memory Method.

As you know, the MMM allows you to create your own systems of powerful Memory Palaces you can use to quickly learn, memorize and recall anything you wish. And that’s just the beginning of the brain exercises and brain games I regularly share.

And units of information really are just like balloons that you can rub and stick to the walls of your Memory Palaces.

Yes, sometimes you have to go back and rub a bit more static into them, but that’s a minor issue. It’s just like going to the gym to pump a bit more muscle into your arms. Do it right and it’s so good for you. Kind of like when you use The Freedom Journal for language learning and memory improvement.

As for adult coloring books, they’re kind of like the weights in your gym of effortless learning. Just get in bed, pop one onto your lap and let the creativity begin to flow.

Say Goodbye To Stress

As far as I’m concerned, we as adults succumb to stress because we’ve left childhood behind. Adult coloring books are a great way to get the stress-free wonder of childhood back, even if just for 10-15 minutes at a time. Add in the Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal process and you’ll be sailing along.

To make it even more powerful, meditate first and throw in some breathing and muscle relaxation exercises. The more I practice these, the more profound my experience of commanding time and enhanced creativity grows. All from spending just a bit of time every day with adult coloring books.

And this is coming from a long-haired Heavy Metal bassist who previously wouldn’t have been caught dead doing sissy creativity exercises!

In sum, if I can take these steps to learn more, remember more, experience higher levels of creativity and enjoy much more relaxation in my life, anyone can. And the benefits reach out into so many areas of life, you just can’t imagine how profoundly happy you can become.

My recommendation:

Get yourself some adult coloring books.  Even if you don’t think they match your learning style, the relaxation benefits can help how you approach learning anything.

Plus, there are oodles out there to choose from. Obviously, I’d be delighted if you’d add Creativity Kickstarter: The Magnetic Memory Method Coloring Book to your collection. If you do, there’s a special link inside where you can get a video that shows you more about how to connect the process of coloring in adult coloring books to memory improvement.

No matter which of the many adult coloring books you choose, don’t turn your nose up at this unusual, but amazing activity. Hardly a day passes when someone doesn’t email to tell me how impressed they’ve been by one of the kids they’ve heard on the Magnetic Memory Method podcast. If you haven’t heard Alicia or Imogen talk about their experience, check out:

Tap The Mind Of A 10-Year Old Memory Palace Master

Memory Improvement Techniques For Kids

You can also tune into How To Teach Your Kids Memory Techniques in case you’re not already sharing these skills with the young people in your life. And why not spend some time coloring with them too in one of your adult coloring books while teaching them about memory? Helping young people learn and remember information with greater ease is one of the best things you can do for the world.

Why?

Because the more you learn, the more you can learn.

And the more you know, the more information you have to associate with, creating growth spurts in your smarts that lead to spontaneous eruptions of knowledge that truly can take you from wherever you are now to genius levels of intelligence.

Yes, all by adding adult coloring books to your current learning and memory practice.

And if you want to add more ideas to the pile, check out Jesse Villalobos’ Magnetic Memory Method Review.  We talk about turning your mind into a kind of coloring book.

It won’t look exactly like this though…

Sound like fun? Great! Send me a pic of yourself doing some coloring or one of your completed designs. I’d love to see it, just like some of the images I’ve already received from people who have been using Creativity Kickstarter that have been featured on this page. 🙂