How crafts can support your mental well-being

In this article, we will explore how crafts and making-style hobbies can support our mental well-being.

There are a multitude of crafts to choose from: knitting, crochet, spinning yarn, drawing, colouring, sewing, embroidery, to name a few. We are all individual and unique, so what craft or activity works for one person may or may not work for or interest others. The key is to experiment and make time for these activities to enrich your lived experience, alongside managing your mental health.

There is a wealth of research that shows stress is hugely impactful on our health. Building a self-care routine into your lifestyle, choosing activities that are right for you and the moment, will have a positive impact on your mental health and stress levels.

As an avid knitter, I can attest that it helps my mental health and sense of well-being, so many of the examples I provide are based on my own experience and those in my crafting community.

Let’s understand some of the science

There have been numerous studies and anecdotal articles confirming that engaging in making-style hobbies can aid our mental health. Hobbies such as knitting can provide space to calm a busy mind, aid concentration and focus, and improve our mood through challenge and satisfaction. The repetitive nature of making stitches allows the knitter to get into a rhythm and can therefore be experienced as a meditative practice.

The social aspect is important in creating connection with others, as well as supporting creativity and learning. Social identity theory explains how being part of a valued social group can maintain a positive identity. Certain crafts can connect us to our family history or culture, allow for individual expression, and bring different people together.

Making the most of your craft 

When it comes to making crafts, it is common to group people into two categories: process-based makers or product-based makers. Process makers are those who gain the most joy from making. It’s not about the completed product as much as the process of making it.

Whereas product-based makers gain satisfaction from following a plan and getting to the finished object. This isn’t to say that process makers don’t gain satisfaction from their end results, just that they're more likely to focus on the making, and vice versa. Which are you? Or do you sit somewhere in the middle of both categories?

Starting a new project

The excitement of starting something new often incites a dopamine hit. However, this can begin before you even start, with just musing or planning your new project. For a knitter, this can mean discovering a new pattern from a designer or starting to think about the yarn and colours to use.

Of course, shopping for potential yarn choices and purchasing the yarn feels good and sparks excitement. Only then does the physical aspect of starting the project begin, but the anticipated lead-up and planning produces a dopamine hit. Even creating a list of interesting projects for the future is enough to feel a creative glow.

How many projects?

Many makers will admit that they have many projects on the go simultaneously. Some are straightforward and don’t require much thinking or challenge, so these are the projects that can work when time is short, or the person is mentally tired.

More complex projects offer a challenge and can distract a busy internal monologue by quieting the mind, whilst offering gratification for the difficulty level. Portability of smaller, simpler projects is helpful for travelling or waiting for appointments. As we are all individuals, how many projects we have will vary. There is no right number, so you do what works for you.

When frustration hits

Of course, projects don’t always go well or work, so what do we do then?

Setting your intention for each project and paying attention to your mindset can change your experience. When working on a new challenge, either something never attempted before, or a new technique or a new craft, requires a reminder that your intention is to give it a go, not to create a perfect object.

Allowing yourself to make errors, redo, and rework is OK and to be expected. This mindset allows for the challenge and helps keep frustration at your skill level in check.

To log or not to log your efforts

For knitters and crocheters, keeping a running log via an online database or a notebook of all their projects, past, present, and future can be very helpful. It can be very satisfying to fill the completed box and upload a photo or add your progress to your making journal.

There has been a social media trend of taking part in an informal making bingo. Create a board of 16 projects at the beginning of the year and see how many have been completed, which ones have been switched for something else, or which ones never get started. There are no firm rules or pressure, just an interesting way to track your progress.

Community

Finding a crafting group to join can offer an oxytocin hit due to the social aspect of meeting others and creating whilst socialising. I’m part of a community of different crafters and makers who meet regularly both in person and online for those I’m connected with internationally.

The dual benefit of helping others or receiving help, alongside being in a space where encouragement and learning are valued, offers a sense of community. This is why crafts or activities that involve socialising have such a big impact on our mood, sense of connection, and ability to reduce isolation and boost creativity.

Getting started

There are many crafts and activities that involve using different parts of the brain, skill-building, repetition, and enjoyment. There is a wealth of online courses and tutorials available to support you in learning a new craft. Check out whether there is a local group you can join or a workshop you can attend – you could learn a lot from those who are enthusiastic about their chosen activity.

If you’re starting from scratch and learning a new craft, then be kind to yourself. Allow the challenge to be just that, accept there will most likely be some frustration involved, and that practice and patience are your friends. It’s not a race; perfection is not necessary.