Scritch scratch swoop. The markers and colored pencils glide and push into the page as people everywhere sit or lay down on their beds, tables or the floor coloring away to the tunes of their favorite music.

A new popular coloring book has come out with the Kaleidoscope coloring book. The intricate yet abstract designs are becoming therapeutic as the head-wrackingly busy spring season so far.

I like the coloring books and have found them especially stress-relieving before my grandmother passed away from pancreatic cancer this winter; my aunt and I spent the night at her apartment and we found solace in telling each other funny stories, watching “The Princess Bride” and coloring in the Kaleidoscope coloring book. It was very relaxing to color while doing puzzles as a family during this hard time, and it provided an activity that brought us together as the time dragged.

The coloring book, according to one article from Medical Daily, has found a new demographic: adults. It helps relieve stress by giving adults the opportunity to express feelings words cannot describe. According to the article, coloring has been known to help people battling cancer, PTSD, depression, dementia and more. Coloring shifts our thoughts from our preoccupations to the present moment to distract us from what is stressing us out as coloring requires both sides of the brain.

It leaves us feeling freer, a little less burdened, and we get to relish being a child again. Who says coloring is just for children when adults and teens need it more?

According to an article in the Huffington Post, the Third Metric, people have reported that coloring helps headaches, and helps slow life down for a while as we take a break from bombardment of technology.

Coloring books, according to “A blog for High School Counselors,” are being recommended for high schoolers who experience intense anger, have experienced a trauma, are depressed or suffer anxiety, students who have learning disabilities, as well as for students with academic, familial, or social relationships. It has also been recommended for new students who feel uncomfortable, and for students who have a hard time expressing themselves.

There are many coloring books that have been said to relieve stress are: 100 Coloriages Anti-Stress (Coloring book that has sold faster in France than French cookbooks), Colour Me Good, Kaleidoscope coloring books, the Art Therapy Colouring Book, as well as Color Therapy: an anti-stress coloring book, most of which are available to buy through Amazon.