On Friday, April 29, students in need of a study break colored their stress away in the quiet, colorful BioLounge at the CU Museum of Natural History.
鈥淚 just finished a final presentation and had a 2-hour exam before that,鈥� said Laura Knoblach, a junior who is studying Spanish. 鈥淚 needed to not concentrate anymore.鈥�
Knoblach enjoys painting, but said it can be stressful because of the pressure to make it perfect.
鈥淐oloring is a nice outlet,鈥� she said. 鈥淪tudies show it legitimately reduces stress.听I can鈥檛 remember the last time I colored something.鈥�
Piggybacking on the popularity of adult coloring books, Sally Robertson, a graduate student in Museum and Field Studies, created 鈥淐oloring Craze鈥� to help students decompress leading into finals week.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to take a break,鈥� said Robertson. 鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 know the museum is here. This is a fun way to raise awareness and help students mentally and physically relax.鈥�
Robertson selected the coloring sheets based on the current 鈥溾�� exhibit on display at the museum through March 2017.
Butterfly puzzles were also available, and attendees enjoyed free snacks, coffee and tea as part of the event.
The BioLounge is open as a study or work space鈥攚ith complimentary tea and coffee鈥攆or the CU-Boulder community during normal business hours.
For more information about 鈥淏ecoming Butterflies鈥� or to see a list of upcoming events, visit the .
