Coloring Outside the Lines

By Laura Hall, MSW,  MATP Staffer

Happy Labor Day!   You might wonder why I’m working on Labor Day and talking about stress.  Isn’t work stressful enough?  Sure it is.  Everyone experiences stress in their lives, and sometimes it is magnified when you have a disability and can’t be as independent as you want to be.  For example, public transportation is not running today, so while I would like to attend the gatherings and barbecues, it just wasn’t possible today. That still doesn’t mean that I’m not annoyed by it…

I’ve been thinking all weekend about ways to de-clutter my mind and come back to work on Monday feeling refreshed.  I’ve grappled with it all weekend and just found myself getting more frustrated.  Then someone gave me a suggestion for what to do when I feel stressed and just can’t let it go: “Do something that you can feel and do at the same time”.  So simple.  Keep myself occupied while doing something I love.  Time to turn to my assistive technology (AT) toolbox!

I like writing, so I bought a journal.  Argh…I have Cerebral Palsy and fine motor skills are difficult.  My hand quickly began to get tired and I began looking at other options. I considered a journaling app like Penzu, that allows you to journal on the computer or with the IOS/Android app. Penzu allows you to use audio, pictures, and other tools to capture thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Then again, maybe I could use Dragon Naturally Speaking, software that turns speech into text.  Even though these were great options, I still felt stressed so I gave up the journal idea.

I know that are many apps that teach ways to relax.  Breathe2Relax, Fluid, and Headspace are a few of my favorites, but there are an infinite number of others.  Speaking of apps, did you know you can try different apps and hundreds of other pieces of AT by requesting a device demonstration through your local Disability Network ?

Personally, apps and podasts work wonderfully to help me relax. However, this weekend they also put me to sleep.  Sleeping is good, very good in fact, but I still wanted to enjoy my day off, not sleep it away.    It was time to try something new.

Well, then there’s that coloring thing that’s the new fad. I’ve tried it.  Don’t really get it.  Part of who I am, and, ironically, part of the reason I’m so stressed,  is that I am a rule follower.  I hate to make mistakes, I have to have things orderly and I definitely cannot color outside of the lines!  Why?  Heck if I know.  It just irks me.  The adult coloring books that I had seen had all been beautiful and interesting and fun, but there were so many tiny lines to fill in.  How is that fun?

Then, I found something that looked interesting.  A coloring book called: This Annoying Life: A Mindless Coloring Book for that Highly Stressed by Oslo Davis.  Davis’ book shows everyday situations that are super annoying, like a tangle of cords, or the cat sleeping on your face. and encourages you to color it any way you want! Scribbles, doodles, mosaics, it’s totally up to you!

Coloring outside the lines helped me have a stress-free Labor Day.  What types of assistive technology help you when you need to get away from it all?