December can be noisy, busy and overfilled with distractions. A simple Christmas coloring session is one of the easiest ways to slow everything down. Here are seven practical ways to use Christmas coloring books for adults to make the month feel calmer and more deliberate.
How to Relax with Coloring Books
1. Build a 20-minute evening wind-down
Pick a time in the evening when you usually scroll on your phone and replace it with a 20-minute coloring slot.
- Make a hot drink.
- Put your phone in another room.
- Set a timer for 20 minutes and color one simple page.
Because Christmas designs are familiar and repetitive (baubles, stockings, snowflakes), you do not need to think hard about them. The predictability helps your brain switch out of “work” mode.
2. Create a “December coloring ritual” playlist
Pair your Christmas coloring books for adults with the same background sound every time.
- A quiet Christmas playlist.
- Lo-fi or instrumental music.
- An audiobook or gentle podcast.
Use the same playlist whenever you color. Over a few evenings your brain starts to associate that sound with “time to slow down”, which makes it easier to relax quickly.
3. Use coloring as a buffer between work and home
If you work from home, the day can blur into the evening. Coloring makes a clear “end of work” marker.
- When you close the laptop, choose a page with a simple design.
- Color for 10–15 minutes before you cook, tidy or do anything else.
It is short, physical and screen-free, so your mind has a chance to step away from work tasks before you move into the rest of your evening.
4. Turn waiting time into calm time
December usually means queues, appointments and general waiting around. Keep a small folder or printed pages from your book in your bag, plus a basic pencil set.
Use them:
- In waiting rooms.
- On public transport.
- During long travel days.
Instead of filling that time with extra phone use, you turn it into something quiet and controlled. Simple, large-print designs are ideal here, because you can pick them up and put them down without losing your place.
5. Make a weekly “color and chat” evening
Coloring works surprisingly well as a social activity because it keeps your hands busy but your attention free.
- Invite a friend or family member.
- Put a few Christmas pages and pens on the table.
- Keep the TV off and chat while you color.
There is no need for any big structure; the pages give you something to do while you talk, which can make conversation feel easier and less pressured.
6. Use one page as a mini mindfulness exercise
You do not need a full meditation routine to get a small mindfulness benefit.
When you start a page, quietly notice:
- The feel of the paper.
- The sound of the pencil or pen.
- The way the colors fill the shapes.
If your mind drifts back to a worry or a to-do list, just notice it and bring your focus back to the movement of your hand or the details of the design. A simple Christmas scene is enough structure to hold your attention without demanding full concentration.
7. Turn finished pages into simple gifts
Knowing a page will be used makes the process more satisfying and less throwaway.
- Trim and frame a finished page as a small gift.
- Use one as a handmade card front.
- Add a colored page into a gift bag or envelope.
This way, your Christmas coloring books for adults give you both relaxation time and low-pressure, personal gifts, without the stress of starting a big craft project from scratch.