According to a recent study, workers in the UK are putting aside their laptops and are turning to something new: adult colouring books. A survey conducted by the popular stationary shop Staples has found that one in seven adults use colouring books at work, with the belief that they help with productivity levels and relaxation.
Of those surveyed, over 80% claimed that colouring improved their ability to be creative, 91% said it reduced the stress they experienced at work, and 68% admitted that it made them more productive. A significant amount, 30%, want to see more companies encouraging the activity.
In response, Staples has put together a free downloadable ‘Creative Colouring Catalogue’. The director and head of category management at Staples Europe, Sharon Tan, says: “While we knew people were colouring at home, we wanted to find out whether the office had become a place to break out the crayons – which it apparently has.”
“With proponents of office colouring saying that it helps with creativity, productivity and lowered stress-levels, we wanted to create something that you can print out at work and have a quick five-minute colouring break.”
Adult colouring has become surprisingly popular, and some suggest that this is down to people wanting to escape technology and screens. Kate Matthews, who authored the colouring book Travel Between the Lines, believes this to be the case: “I think adults are beginning to realise that our addiction to technology has downsides, such as always being ‘on’ and diminishing attention spans. Many of my customers seem to be turning to colouring as a way to disconnect from their devices, and enjoy the simple pleasure of stillness, quiet and creativity.”
“Colouring is a pursuit that settles the mind, and allows workers to unwind from the demands of their overly busy lives.”
The American Council of Science and Health agrees that this activity can decrease anxiety, citing its own research as evidence. Some other organisations also claim that their experiments have highlighted the positive impact colouring can have on both the heart rate and on brain waves, since it forces people to focus on one, single activity.
Encouraging the use of techniques that have the potential to increase productivity could be useful in a country that has been known to have some of the lowest productivity levels in Europe. Late last year, British media covered the UK’s poor performance in this area, when it came second to last on an international scale.
On the other hand, even if research is correct and colouring does have the potential to make UK workers more relaxed, this will not necessarily lead to higher productivity levels in the workplace because stress is not the only determining factor here. An article in the Independent claims that there are a number of influences involved. One reason cited is the lack of housing in Britain, which means workers are often unable to live close to their workplace; an issue which results in longer commutes and tired workers. Another is increased regulations when it comes to paperwork, something which demotivates people and makes them less productive.
Of course, numerous company chiefs, directors and executives will scoff at the idea of their staff taking time out to colour in. And it is true that suggesting people colouring in at work is slightly bizarre, but if this innocent, light-hearted pastime can help alleviate the stresses of overworked employees then it is hard for company chiefs to ignore.
It is certainly understandable that many will wonder whether this is an appropriate thing to do during working hours. And that is for each company/employer to decide for themselves. One suggestion to meet employees half way is to provide colouring books that can be used during their break times. This way, no time is taken away from working hours, and employees have the option to take part in an enjoyable activity. The jury is still out, but if it does indeed result in increasing relaxation and productivity, then everybody benefits.
