To celebrate the release of Food for the Soul, I'm honoured to be able to share a piece of bespoke work created by very talented Johanna Basford. I've been a fan of her colouring books for years, several years ago my mum bought me a copy when I was really struggling with my sleep and looking to learn new ways to 'wind down' before bed in the evening.

 

Studies have shown that colouring helps to reduce stress and anxiety and Bristol University found that colouring had similar effects in the brain to meditation, slowing down a whirling mind and boosting creativity. It's hard to focus on everything you have 'to do' and what's going on/going wrong in life when we shift our attention to more mindful activities in the 'present moment', such as choosing the right shade of red for the strawberry and trying (usually failing!) to stay within the lines.

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I've included a link below to download and print off your own copy and give it a go! I'd love to hear and see how you get on. Please tag me @lordlucy with your creations.

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To follow more of Johanna's beautiful work, visit her website here for more free downloadable prints, her best selling books, colouring tutorials and more. Find her on instagram @johannabasford