If you’re going through treatment for cancer, finding solace through art therapy can contribute positively to not just your emotional well-being but your overall quality of life. Whether you’re experiencing stress because you’re anxious about test results, a recurrence, or treatment side effects, finding new ways to cope with what you’re feeling is essential at every stage of a cancer diagnosis.
Mental health is often an under-discussed component of a cancer diagnosis, with over half of patients feeling a disconnect between the attention given to their emotional needs versus their physical needs. Don’t hesitate to bring up how you’re feeling with your care team, they’re here to help support you and provide you with the resources you need to manage the complexities of a diagnosis.
Your care team might recommend seeing a mental health professional, trying mediation, or incorporating other integrative therapies. But there’s another approach that’s sometimes recommended as an add-on to other therapies: art therapy through adult coloring books.
When you spend time coloring in an adult coloring book, you’re engaging a different part of your brain and shifting focus to the art instead of on your anxiety. Adult coloring books typically have lots of patterns, but take minimal artistic ability to complete. They provide an opportunity to relax, unwind, and focus your brain on the task at hand.
Art therapy has been shown to have a profound effect on people struggling with anxiety when recommended as an add-on to their existing treatment therapies. A 2020 study revealed that art therapy significantly reduced anxiety symptoms, depression, and fatigue in cancer patients.
Additionally, the Mayo Clinic includes art therapy on a recommended list of integrative therapies for cancer patients, along with daily meditation, mindfulness, and mind-body therapies (including massage, acupuncture, reflexology, and Reiki).
Would you like to match with a licensed therapist? We’ve partnered with Talkspace to provide an accessible and convenient way to connect with a mental health professional. Use the code OUTCOMES4ME100 for $100 off your first month of Talkspace.
Here are five examples of adult coloring books that we recommend checking out:
1) Cancer, You Suck! An Unfiltered and Empowering Coloring Book with 50 Positive Quotes and Affirmations for Cancer Patients and Survivors by Vickie Siculiano
Color in mantra-like empowerment quotes like “Cancer you can’t rain on my parade” and “I’m the author of my story, not cancer” and hang them on your fridge as a reminder of your strength and courage on days when you’re not feeling your best.
2) Anxiety Relief Coloring Book for Adults by Rockridge Press
Full of calming photos and patterns as well as mindfulness exercises, this coloring book has been well-received for beginners.
3) Coloring Through Chemo by K.M. Fredericks
A great book – or gift – for cancer patients going through chemotherapy, providing them with the tools to color while they sit and hopefully relax a little bit during their treatment.
4) Mindfulness Patterns Coloring Book by Vivi Tinta
This is a coloring book full of creative designs and doodle opportunities to alleviate stress and help you relax.
5) Mindfulness Coloring Book for Adults by YOURnotes Publishing
This coloring book is smaller, so it can fit in a purse or back pocket. It’s full of illustrations that live on black backgrounds for something a little different.
Art therapy is one of many complementary ways you can care for your mental health after a cancer diagnosis. To learn more about additional therapies that can enhance your emotional and physical well-being, check out our “Ask the Expert” webinar with Dr. Krisstina Gowin where she breaks down integrative oncology.
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