Ideas That Work: Take a Coloring Break

One of the ASCs run by the Florida Medical Clinic in the Tampa area has found a way to give its employees much-needed mental rests during busy days of surgery. Leadership bought two large coloring posters — one of a sloth hanging from a branch and the other a floral mandala design — and hung them in the break room for staff to fill in a little at a time. Studies have shown that art therapy in general, and coloring in particular, has therapeutic benefits. It can reduce anxiety, help to bring people into the present moment, and improve motor skill function and focus. It can even change a negative mindset into a positive one. “Coloring is a good activity to add to the breaks staff need,” says OR Charge Nurse Lauren Gage, RN. “It’s also fun to see the progress that’s being made, how everyone has a slightly different vision and adds their personal touches to the pictures.” OSM