Sometimes, life is overwhelming—especially in the digital age. Even just a moment away from the mental demands of a phone or laptop eases some of that pressure. That’s why many folks are turning to analog (or non-digital) hobbies. In addition to the mind-quieting effects, taking time for analog hobbies, such as adult coloring books, also fosters creativity and offers a sense of accomplishment.
But that’s the keyword: time. Using coloring books as a self-soothing practice only works when it fits into day-to-day life, and most books are too bulky to carry around. In addition, it’s hard to find the motivation to complete larger pictures. It can even add additional pressure to the activity that’s supposed to help reduce anxiety. What if you make a mistake? How do you plan out an entire color scheme when you can hardly focus on your work?
These unhelpful thoughts lead to unfinished pictures and even more overwhelm, totally negating the reasons for coloring at all. That brings us to A Brighter Year, the brand dedicated to cultivating little moments of peace with its mini coloring books. When the coloring page is only as large as a sticky note, each completed page only takes around five minutes to feel a sense of accomplishment.
A Brighter Year Mini Coloring Books
Anyone can take three minutes to relax their mind with these whimsical, pocket-sized coloring books.
What is A Brighter Year?
Born from a desire to pause and unwind on the go, A Brighter Year’s charming mini coloring books are the perfect size for travel at around three inches tall. For reference, that’s small enough for a purse or a large pocket. Because these tiny coloring books don’t have the same complexity of intricate adult coloring books, they don’t require much of a time commitment. What they do provide is around three minutes of calm—and oftentimes, that’s all we need to ground us during life’s stressful moments.
While uncomplicated, the designs offered are by no means juvenile. Creativity seekers will appreciate the wide variety of options available, including geometric patterns, crafty cats and little snacks. And of course, A Brighter Year also offers travel-friendly colored pencils and markers for impromptu creativity.
How I tested the mini coloring books
I picked up five mini coloring books from A Brighter Year. It’s difficult narrowing down my favorites—there are so many cute options to choose from! I ended up with the Hygge, XOXO, Cats & Crafts, Prisms and Patterns and Whimsical Windows coloring books. The wide selection offers lots of choices for folks who like pictures, geometric shapes or a little of both. You can even snag bundles containing a few different picks, if you want to experiment.
Each book measures about the size of a stack of sticky notes and offers 49 thick pages. The binding is a thin layer of adhesive, making it easy to remove pages once you complete each masterpiece. This results in a fun, display-ready print upon completion. I like to paste my little works of art into collages, tuck them into my husband’s wallet with a sweet note (cheesy, but he loves it) and use them as bookmarks. The joy doesn’t end upon completion!
Over the course of a week, I kept my stack of coloring books on my work desk with a handful of markers, so I was ready whenever the mood struck. And strike it did. On Monday, I completed three pages, totaling around three minutes per page. By Friday, I had colored around 15 pages.
Having the coloring books readily available and portioned into bite-sized pages is useful for two reasons. First, it eliminates any guilt about taking some time during the day to practice self-care. After all, who can’t spare three minutes? Second, I exited my workweek feeling noticeably calmer, collected, and creatively motivated, which helped me complete a few personal projects I’d been putting off.
While I can’t say that coloring cured my anxiety, taking a moment to pause and redirect my thoughts was often all I needed to get out of a negative thought spiral. For that, A Brighter Year mini coloring books are an invaluable addition to my self-care toolkit. And here’s the best part: adding this tiny mindfulness ritual cost me barely 10 minutes per day.
Where to buy A Brighter Year mini coloring books
A Brighter Year Mini Coloring Books
There's no reason to feel guilty about taking a self-care break with these three-minute mini coloring books.
A Brighter Year coloring books are available on the brand’s website for around $8 per 49-page coloring book. Those who scribble through their stash quickly also have the option of joining the monthly mini coloring book subscription. Perks of subscribing include up to three mini coloring books per month, plus savings, free shipping, and other little surprises. For those seeking an analog hobby, these mini coloring books are an inexpensive, low commitment addition to the workday.
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