How Crafting Has Helped Me

Crafting has helped me in many ways over the years, and will continue to help me in the years to come.

Mentally, crafting has been a great benefit in my life. I suffer, as many do, with anxiety. I do not like to sit still and have a hard time waiting in line, or at a doctor's office, because my mind is focused on the rest of the things I need to accomplish that day. I find myself getting agitated when I have long wait times for anything. Instead of it manifesting in anger and frustration, I channel it into something productive.

You can see me sitting in waiting rooms knitting. Many doctors end up being overbooked or running behind. Instead of me sitting in the waiting room, or exam room, messing with my phone. I am knitting or writing to be productive. I am accomplishing something where most people are playing on their phones or sitting complaining about the wait. I am more relaxed as a result which helps me mentally as well as physically by keeping my blood pressure and pulse rate down.

I knit or make lists while I am waiting for my children to get out of school or while they are playing on the playground after school. Again, I do not like to waste time, so again, I am doing something productive while handling my daily duties as a parent. I am not watching YouTube or playing some game on my phone. I am watching my kids and being productive. This again helps me to relax and be less anxious because something is being accomplished.

Knitting and crochet also helps with finger dexterity, muscle memory, mental awareness, pattern recognition, and problem solving. I believe this will be helpful in the future to possibly prevent Alzheimer's, and prevent arthritis.

Now these crafts often lead to a sedentary lifestyle because you tend to sit while crafting. This goes for knitting, crochet, cross stitch, beading, painting, drawing, and so on. But if you use craft time as a reward for activity, it helps to get you moving around. When I am at home, I use my craft time as a reward for many things. I won't knit until I have done (x) loads of dishes or I have to load the washer and dryer before I can crochet 5 rows. I will sit to make a set of stitch markers after cooking dinner, or make an earring after exercising/stretching for 10 minutes. And before I start the next project, I have to do some other chore on my list before I can do it. That has been beneficial to my physical health as well.

I feel that making crafts, whether it is designing or following a pattern, makes me a healthier person mentally and physically while making beautiful items to sell or for my family. I am a part of the online crafting communities in which I am one of many, but outside of that community it feels like knitting, crochet, embroidery and other crafts are no longer something people care about. I have heard too many times, "I don't have the patience to do that", or "I just don't have time to do that" but in the same breath don't want to pay what the item costs the artisan to create because they can buy something at a chain store.

I would suggest of you are someone who suffers from anxiety, tachycardia, high-blood pressure, or you find that you are often easily angered, you try to find a craft that you would like to learn and  practice. See if you have the same type of outcome as I have had in reduction of anxiety and rapid heart rate. This is all my own personal experience, you may or may not have the same outcome, but really, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Who knows, you may just find a hobby you really like.