Anxiety can leave us tense and achy all over. It can rob us of our joy and leave us a neurotic mess.
Because so many people are suffering from the chronic effects of anxiety, it has opened up a whole new market of methods to help us to calm down.
There are special toys you can squeeze. There are whole youtube channels and applications designed to help us take a step back and be mindful and relax. There are meditation and exercise, which are both known to help us reduce our anxiety levels.
But did you know that being creative can also make a huge difference?
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Whether you realize it or not, spending time creating art, whether you are coloring or sculpting can make a huge difference. Because so much focus has been put on the mental health effects of crafting, there has been a huge surge in interest in the needle arts.
Repetition Is Like Meditation
Whether you are casting on stitches or creating a base chain with your hook, you will see that there is a delightful repetition to what you are doing.
Just like in meditation where you concentrate on the breath, the repetition that comes with doing each stitch over and over again can soothe your mind and help you to relax.
There are an unlimited amount of patterns that you could choose to work when you are knitting or crocheting, but the main component of a pattern will always be repetition.
As you continue to work your pattern, it will eventually become second nature and leave you with peace as you repeat it over and over again.
Takes Your Mind Off Of Your Worries
Mindfulness is a practice that has been recommended to many people who are struggling with anxiety or depression.
Why? It helps to keep us in the current moment, where we are neither worrying about the future or struggling with our past.
When you are working with your hands, it brings you into the present moment. The steps you have to take to complete a stitch require your attention. The feel of the yarn can ground you.
For remaining mindful, knitting and crochet are two of the best activities you can employ.
Can’t Knit or Crochet, would you like to learn?
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A Sense Of Accomplishment
Many times when we struggle with anxiety and depression, it is because we feel like we are incompetent or incapable. That is not an uncommon feeling, and the beauty of crochet and knitting is that it completely busts that myth.
How? You are watching a project grow in your hands, right before your very eyes. You are left with an item that lets you know you are capable of accomplishing something. Even if it is just a beanie or a small stuffed animal, that is something that you have created.
If you can accomplish this, you can accomplish many other things.
Before you go…
Knitting and crochet will take your attention and help you to focus on the present. When you are struggling with frequent worry and an inability to concentrate, that can feel like heaven.
If you have been looking for a new way to relieve your anxiety, consider picking up some yarn and needles. It truly can change your life.
So if you crochet, knit, whittle, or whatever you decide to do, keep it up! Because you’re doing a great thing for your body and mind.
I hope you enjoyed these 3 ways that knitting or crocheting can improve mental health and reduce anxiety.
I knit and crochet and I totally agree with this. I knit/crochet at lunchtime at the office and helps return equilibrium and I find it soothing
That’s an awesome idea, using your lunchtime to de-stress so you can face the rest of the day.
I totally agree with this suggestion and theory.
Thank you for taking the time to read.
Do you like to knit, crochet or both?