The benefits of sewing and crafting for mental health

The benefits of sewing and crafting for mental healthThe benefits of sewing and crafting for mental healthSewing and crafting can be fun pastimes. Even more than that, they can be useful as well After all, when you finish sewing a project or crafting something, you have a knick-knack for your house, a new dress to wear, or anything that you can think of creating.However, the benefits of sewing and crafting dont stop there. In addition, there are a variety of benefits to your mental health when you take time to sew or craft as well. Today, we are going to take a look at some of these benefits.Take Some Time to YourselfThe first benefit we will look at isnt exactly specific to crafting or sewing. Instead, it is simply the idea that you can benefit fromtaking some time to yourself.During this time to yourself, though, you can take the time to sew or craft to also access the other benefits we will discuss here.Taking the time to do something for and by yourself can help you relax. We liv e in a busy world and it can be easy to devote every waking moment to working or studying. By taking the time to sew or craft, though, you are relaxing and you dont feel guilty about it because you can make something you end up using.It can also help to take your mind off things in a stressful situation. After all, giving yourself a little me time isnt limited to everyday stress. In fact, having a distraction during particularly stressful situations can help to ground you and take a break from constant anxiety, stress, or even depression.Confidence and CraftingAleidher thing that crafting and sewing can help is your confidence and self-esteem. Remember how we mentioned that you wouldnt feel guilty crafting or sewing because you are creating something that is important to you?Well, this can also help you with your confidence as well When you feel like youre accomplishing something and providing something for yourself or someone else, you are more confident. Its the saatkorn concept t hat gives you a boost of self-esteem when you successfully complete a big job at work, for example.Crafting Can Make You Feel HappySo, we know that crafting and sewing can help you to reduce some of the stress in your life, improving your mental health. In addition, though, crafting can also make you happy, not just reduce unhappiness.For instance, a survey of 3,545 knitters welches taken by a knitting therapist, Betsan Corkhill. In this survey, knitters were asked questions about how they felt while they were knitting. Responding to the survey, over half of the survey takers said that knitting made them feel very happy.Crafting, sewing or woodworking help you reduce negative emotions and stress by allowing you to create unique pieces of art. For example, woodworking is one of the most effective form of art therapy in the world, because itcombines strategies for planning,, getting the supplies, planning your cut list, measuring, cutting, painting.The reasoning given behind this is t hat crafting can release serotonin and dopamine chemicals in your brain that relax you and make you happier. The more repetitive your craft is the better A part of what is hypothesized to cause this chemical release is getting lost in the repetitive movements of a craft. This means that crafts such as knitting or sewing are more likely to see these results.Bright Colors and Different Materials HelpThe same therapist who did the knitting survey, Betsan Corkhill, also says that usingbright colors when you craft can help your mood.There is actually some science to this claim. Certain colors do, in fact, evoke certain moods for some people. This is why you might feel more anxious in a harshly coloured room or feel calm when surrounded by blue. Historically, color therapy chromology has been used to improve moods. Today, we often see this in the form of light therapy.This has to do with a few different ideas. One of the main concepts is that certain colors are associated with certain things such as warm colors being associated with fall.Todays research is less optimistic about the long-term effects of color. It is generally accepted, though, that certain colors can have a great, short-term effect on mood, though.The great thing about crafting is that its multi-sensory too. For instance, if you are sewing with super soft materials, you might find this to be calming just as you would wrapping up in a soft, fuzzy throw blanket.Learning Something New Is Good for YouIf you are new to crafting and sewing or even just improving your skills by learning a new pattern, you will benefit from it. Crafting and sewing give you a chance to learn and learning does wonderful things for your brain.To get scientific, when you learn something, your brain forms new synapses between neurons. In laymans terms, this keeps your mind flexible and ready to learn. This can help ward off problems with learning as you age such as dementia.This article was originally published on Your Coffee Break.