The rhythmic repetition of stitching, the touch of yarn between your fingers and the sensation of making something with your hands is a form of mindful meditation. From calming nerves and decluttering the mind, crafting is a powerful way to improve your mental and physical wellbeing. In support of Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, our partner LoveCrafts – a global community of crafters, and the number one destination for knitting and crochet supplies – has written a blog for us on why crafting is good for our mental wellbeing.
Our members get a discount off any LoveCrafts product – check out the deal.
Crafting is good for us, it’s a fact
Learning a new hobby can help us live a happier and healthier life!
Science has begun to recognise the positive effects that crafting has on the brain. Studies have found that focusing on a single repetitive activity, such as a knitting, shares some of the same positive neurological effects as meditation and breathwork.
Slowing down and focusing on one task helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, so your body can find relief from its ‘fight or flight’ mode. This helps regulate the body’s defenses, which is essential for our long-term health.
Not only does crafting have a calming effect, but it also helps boost feel-good hormones. Our body releases dopamine and serotonin with the joy and satisfaction of finishing a project. In a study of 3,500 knitters, researchers found that 81% of knitters with depression felt that knitting made them happier. A non-medicinal way to make us feel good? Count us in!
It’s no surprise then, that crafting as a hobby has been recommended by the NHS as a way to improve our mental wellbeing – helping treat those suffering with chronic pain, depression, anxiety and even post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Crafting improves your fine motor skills
As we get older, it’s super important to keep working on our visual-spatial and hand-eye coordination skills. Reading a
craft pattern helps stimulate motor and cognitive skills and holding knitting needles or a crochet hook improves our visual coordination. So not only does crafting help us reduce anxiety, but it’s a good way to keep us dexterous.
Crafting connects you to a community of makers
In these topsy-turvy times, having a hobby that connects us to a larger community can help combat social isolation and provide a brilliant support group. Try a crochet or knit-along, where you make a project together over a couple of weeks, join one of our live classes on Instagram, or set up a virtual making session for a charity.
We’ve seen time and time again how coming together safely to craft, creates a communal space of calm and support.
Join a community of makers at LoveCrafts
From knitting and crochet to sewing and embroidery, LoveCrafts is a place where new and experienced crafters can shop craft materials, find inspiration, learn new skills and find community through our shared passion for making. Our ultimate guide to crafting is here to help you learn a whole new craft from scratch, from knitting to cross-stitch, crochet to embroidery.
So what are you waiting for? Try a new mindful and joyful hobby, today!
You can find out more with LoveCrafts’ Beginners Guide to Crafting.
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