Why Crafts are good for Mental Health and Well-Being

In a previous blog post, we've shared our favorite articles that describe the meditative and the healing power of crafts for your mental health and general well-being.

6 Reasons why crafts are good for your well-being and mental health

Manual activities such as needlepoint (and needlework in general), knitting, crochet, weaving, ceramics, etc. that consist of repetitive actions, enable a "flow" and a immersive status, calming the mind and reducing stress. 

More and more we see testimonials of people that returned to craft when they were feeling ill. Also, a study undertaken in 2017 on the impact of knitting also states that crafting is great for your health, so why not give it a try?

These were the main findings of the study, on the benefits of knitting:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces depression and anxiety
• Slows the onset of dementia
• Is as relaxing as yoga
• Distracts from chronic pain
• Provides an opportunity for creativity (at a time of reducing capacity)
• Increases sense of wellbeing
• Reduces loneliness and isolation
• Increases sense of usefulness and inclusion in society

But there's more... and below we are sharing 6 good reasons on why you should try some crafty activities!

1. A way to de-stress from the modern-day living

It’s not surprising that we are spending more time looking at screens. The pressures of modern-day living to be constantly online, can sometimes feel overwhelming, and extremely stressful.

Thus, it is important to make time to unwind and de-stress in order to take care of your mental health. Starting a craft activity is a good option, as it will enable you to become immersed in creating. Your mind will break away from pressing or distracting thoughts, and really focus on the task at hand. 

Also, starting a hobby with crafts is also a good excuse to feel productive past-time and keep rested without stopping.

2. Promoting positive health and mental clarity

Besides the benefits for the physical health mentioned above, creating something can be also seen as a contemplation tool. As your mind is freed from stressful thoughts, when doing a manual activity you are also enabling mental clarity. You can reassess problems and make plans more clearly and calmly.

Also, "the increase of dopamine caused by creating art and craft enhances the creation of new neurons, which promotes focus, concentration and readies the brain for learning." (from here)

"By creating art, you strengthen the connectivity between the brain’s left and right hemispheres, in doing so boosting psychological resilience and productivity."