5 Reasons Why Crafting is Great for Your Mental Health

Have you ever had a hobby that you can just sink into and lose yourself in? Most hobbies are like that for some people. They are designed to distract and to destress, and the best thing to do is to find a hobby that gives you that feeling. Crafting is one of those hobbies. It’s actually been proven to alleviate the symptoms of depression, loneliness and anxiety, and with prolonged use can even help with the symptoms of dementia.

No matter where you buy your fabrics or your patterns from, you need to choose which crafting hobby is going to give you the most joy. And then you need to learn about why it’s great for your mental health. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that crafting is the best thing for your mental health.

Crafting Boosts Well-Being

Engaging with the arts is a booster to your well-being. We already know that the arts help to encourage movement, reduce social isolation, and lower your stress hormones. Research was published in the University College London’s Mental Health Network in 2018 that showed that engaging with visual art can really help to reduce anxiety. Whether it’s distraction or the dopamine release that we get, we encourage cognitive flexibility, reducing the risk of dementia simply by engaging in arts and crafts. When you undertake creative activity every single day, you improve your positive psychological functioning.

Making Crafts Lowers Anxiety

Crafting lowers feelings of anxiety. Did you know that craft courses were once prescribed to patients since the dawn of occupational therapy? Basketry, for example, was used to relieve anxiety and other physical ailments in soldiers. It’s something that continues to be used today, especially with charities for veterans’ mental health. Being able to do something positive for your mental health can help you to reduce your anxiety and make you feel positive on the inside and the outside. This will help you to lower your stress and improve your mood.

Crafting Can Be Social (If You Want It to Be)

Although you can get your craft on solo, sometimes it’s fun to get together with others. See if your local library, church, or community center offers crafting classes or groups. People love getting together to knit, crochet, make quilts, or embroider. And you’d be surprised at the wide range of ages of the participants—kids to grandmas and everyone in between!

Making Crafts May Improve Cognitive Function

Whether you are worried about stroke or dementia, or you simply just want to improve your skills in general, you’ll find that crafting is a great way to do it. You’ll be able to reduce your stress while you are keeping your hands busy, but also keeping your mind engaged. Crafting spans so many different activities, whether it’s crochet, knitting, or fabric and sewing. It’ll be amazing for your mental health to have something that takes you away from screen time, utilizes your problem-solving and creative skills, and takes you away from worrying.

Crafting is an Emotional Outlet

Every time you pick up your crafting tools, you’re pouring a little bit of your heart and soul into your creation. Whether it’s the colors you choose, the patterns you follow, or even the tiny imperfections that make your craft uniquely yours, each element reflects a part of your inner world. This is what makes crafting so special. It’s a window into understanding and expressing your emotions, a way to unwind and let your feelings flow through your hands.

It’s easy to get lost in the daily whirlwind of tasks and responsibilities. Crafting can be your little escape, a moment where it’s just you and your creativity, reconnecting with the parts of yourself that sometimes get overshadowed by your busy life.