Paint by Numbers and Mental Health: What the Research Says
Lots of people say painting by numbers helps them feel calmer. It’s a nice idea, but is there anything behind it? Paint by numbers itself hasn’t been studied much. Two closely related activities have, though: making art, and colouring in pre-drawn designs. Here’s what that research found, where it falls short, and how to make the most of a painting session.
Making art lowered a stress hormone
In a 2016 study at Drexel University, 39 adults spent 45 minutes making art: drawing with markers, modelling clay or making collages, with no instructions. The researchers measured cortisol, a hormone linked to stress, in saliva before and after. Cortisol dropped significantly after the session for about three quarters of the participants.
Two details matter for anyone who doesn’t think of themselves as artistic. Prior experience with art made no significant difference to the results, and neither did which materials people chose. You didn’t need to be good at it.
Colouring a structured design eased anxiety
In a 2005 study by Curry and Kasser, students were first made a little anxious, then spent 20 minutes colouring. Some coloured a mandala, some a plaid pattern, and some got a blank page to draw whatever they liked. Anxiety fell most for the mandala group and somewhat for the plaid group. Free drawing didn’t lower it.
The researchers’ explanation is the interesting part. A structured design gently holds your attention, in a way that resembles meditation. A blank page asks you to make decisions, and for some people those decisions are a small source of stress in themselves.
Paint by numbers is about as structured as art gets. The picture is drawn for you, the colours are chosen for you, and every area tells you exactly what goes there.
Why it might help
Researchers point to a few things these activities share:
- Gentle focus. Following the lines takes enough attention to quiet a busy mind, but not so much that it feels like work.
- No decisions to make. Without choices about composition or colour, there’s nothing to get wrong.
- A sense of flow. Many people describe losing track of time while painting. Psychologists call this state flow: being absorbed in something just challenging enough to hold you.
- Visible progress. Each finished area is a small, concrete achievement. Watching the whole picture come together adds a sense of accomplishment.
- A break from screens full of news. Time spent painting is time away from feeds, notifications and worrying headlines.
What the research can’t tell us
It’s worth being honest about the limits. These studies were small, measured how people felt straight after a single session, and mostly relied on people rating their own anxiety. The Drexel study had no comparison group. Nobody has yet shown that regular painting improves mental health in the long run, and painting by numbers in particular hasn’t been tested.
So the fair summary is this: art making and colouring reliably help many people feel calmer in the moment. That’s a good reason to paint. It isn’t a treatment.
Paint by numbers is not a substitute for professional care. If you’re struggling with anxiety, low mood or stress that’s getting in the way of daily life, please talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. If you’re in crisis, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line.
How to get the most from a calming paint
- Make it a ritual. Paint at the same time each day: with your morning coffee, after dinner, or as part of winding down before bed.
- Put notifications away. Turn on a Focus mode or Do Not Disturb so painting is a real break.
- Pick pictures that make you happy. A cozy room, a favourite animal, a peaceful landscape.
- Go slowly. Pay attention to each brush stroke and each colour as it fills in. Speed isn’t the goal.
- Stop whenever you like. There’s no need to finish in one sitting. A few calm minutes still count.
Brushee was made for exactly this kind of painting: no timers, no scores, no pressure, and your progress saved so you can pick up where you left off. For more on why it feels so good, read why paint by numbers is so relaxing for adults.