The Affirmations Colouring Book by Louise Hay and Alberta Hutchinson Review

The Positive Grown Up Colouring Book

I suffer from Anxiety. It is not something I realised until later on in life – in fact it’s a condition I didn’t even fully understand until recently. It is not something that I would have ever admitted to my parents, loved ones or even friends, because during that time when I couldn’t give it a label, and had no idea as to what exactly my ‘suffering’ was, I simply felt ashamed. And so I just laughed it off as one of my quirky idiosyncrasies. Whenever I felt panicked I would try to keep it to myself, bottle it up. I would work myself up into such a state when travelling. When I felt stressed I would lash out first and apologise later. I would blame it on the time of month, stress at home, a fight with the hubby or trouble at work. I never truly understood it. Until now.

Nowadays, I am able to manage it. I can more or less keep it under control. Most of the time. But not all of the time.

It wasn’t until I met Miss Pollyanna that I realised having a positive outlook on life really can change your attitude over night, helping you deal with stressful situations and enabling you to plan out your days in advance in a much more carefree way. Being positive, I felt, could even help me regain control of my anxiety.

So imagine my happiness with Miss Pollyanna mentioned that Hay House Publications was sending through their latest book, and this one would be my perfect ‘read’. You see, it wasn’t a Self-Help book that would induce calm, or indeed even an audio book full of affirmations to lull me to sleep at night. Instead it was a book that would appeal to my perfectionist nature at the same time as relaxing me during times of stress – and better yet, all whilst taking part in one of my ‘guiltiest’ pleasures.

Colouring.

Yes, adult colouring books have hit the shelves in their dozens. All of a sudden, this guilty secret that I kept to myself all these years has been given permission to seep into the public domain. Adult colouring books are now two a penny in book stores and indulging in one of my favourite past-times has finally become much more socially acceptable. But Louise Hay (Founder of the Hay House Family) and Alberta Hutchinson have taken it one step further than that…

This gorgeous, intricate book of illustrations is not just filled with pretty pictures and intricate borders, but its 44 pages are graced with some of the most serenely written and thought provoking words. Whilst colouring in the delicate lines and focusing on the here and now, you are also immersing your subconscious with beautiful words, expertly written, to make you feel more joyful.

“I am wonderful just as I am at this very moment”

“I accept my parents and they in turn accept and love me”

This may seem to some as being overly positive – and in my husband’s words even ‘a little hippy dippy‘ – but I can honestly say that there truly is something to be said about focusing and concentrating on the statements on the page and saying them over and over again as you fill in each block of colour. The words really do sink in.

I tested the book. Twice. I wanted to see if it would actually work. If colouring in mere words on a page and focusing on some lines could possibly relax me.

The first time was after a particularly stressful day at work. One of those days where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. After snapping at my children and screaming blue murder at my husband, I finally stormed off upstairs snatching my colouring book and pencils as I went. Now – to those around me at the time this seemed like the most hilarious show of emotion. But it worked. I settled down on the couch with a large glass of red wine and flicked through the pages. Like some kind of oracle, the page my fingers landed on bared the words:
“It is safe for me to express my feelings”.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Because it was right. I was safe. I was safe to be angry, I was allowed to be stressed and I was entitled to run off with my colouring book and hide. I was around friends and family. I spent an hour colouring in the pages and sipping my red wine, and by the end of the page I felt much more relaxed and focused. So much so I couldn’t remember why I was angry, but I was ready to tackle that work problem in the morning!

The second time I tested it was on a recent trip away with my family. I find travelling one of the most stressful situations. If I am alone, I am totally at peace, but a journey with my husband is enough to induce heart palpitations and migraines. This time round, I made sure to pack my colouring. After the stress of check-in and security, I sat in the departure lounge, took out my colours and let the world disappear for ten minutes while I focused on something small and intricate. My pulse lowered, my anxiety faded and my positive attitude returned.

Some may say that it is a placebo affect. I want it to work, so it does. But does that really matter? The fact surely is, this beautiful book and the freeing-up of our attitude towards adults being ‘allowed’ to colour – the welcoming of these books into the mainstream – has enabled me to control my anxious character.

Colouring in may have previously been regarded as ‘child’s play’ – but these days anything goes. As we become less concerned with what people think of us, and care more about how we affect our own emotions, we are able to down tools and focus on something that makes us happy – even just for ten minutes each day.

This gorgeous book is jam-packed with 44 of the most glorious illustrations, as well as blank space to provide an area for extra creativity, should you feel so inclined. The affirmations are an added bonus, especially for those who, like me, may need an extra boost of positivity at the end of a stressful day.

For anyone in search of the perfect gift for a friend, or indeed that special person who needs to give themselves permission to chill out more this Christmas, this is definitely it!

The Affirmations Colouring Book Published by Hay House UK
ISBN: 978-1401950507