During midterms week, black and white patterned coloring posters were hung on each floor. Markers, colored pencils, and other coloring supplies are available near the coloring pages. These pages were put there in an effort to relieve stress during the one of the most stressful times during the school year.

    There have been questions, however, about if these coloring pages are actually relieving stress. Junior Maya Shenoy says, “I think that they’re a great idea but it’s hard to actually use them; my flex periods are booked. I do find them de-stressing after school, when I can actually use them.” Many people agree with Maya, in the sense that although they are designed to relieve stress, some are too stressed to take time to stop and color. Senior, Margaret Achenbach, agrees with Maya, “I think they do relieve stress it’s just there’s not a lot of free time to . . .  just chill and color but I really like it and I like the idea that even though it’ll take a while, eventually they’ll fill with color.”

   Others, like junior Ashley Williams, think that these coloring posters actually do relieve stress during the school day. She says, “In my opinion, coloring books are so helpful for relieving stress. They allow you to focus and become completely engulfed in a single task, and gives you a sense of accomplishment that motivates you to apply that same approach to other tasks in your life. In a way, it teaches you that when you take a seemingly huge and complicated task and break it into small and manageable parts, you can eliminate almost all of the stress that you would normally experience.” By stopping to color in these coloring pages, students can relieve stress and relax.

    If you are feeling stressed either during flex, before school, after school, or even between classes, take a minute to stop, breathe, and color.