Crafting for Wellbeing

This article first appeared on Card Making Circle....

Crafting is creative and is easily accessible to all regardless of age and ability.

Being creative can help with emotional wellbeing and keep your brain active. It can help improve physical health and social interaction.

So, whether you knit, create greeting cards, paint landscapes or design jewellery - crafting may be ideal for your well-being.

How Does Crafting Reduce Stress and Anxiety?

Experts are finding that the act of creating something reduces depression, anxiety and even chronic pain. 

It gets you outside yourself and distracts you from your worries.

Crafting soothes stress and safeguards the brain from cognitive dysfunction brought on by aging.

Crafting is a good coping mechanism to bridge the gap from employment to redundancy or retirement. It helps fill up the gaping hole of “nowhere to be and nothing to do” resulting from joblessness. 

Meeting New People & Making Friends

A crafting group is a good place to start meet like minded people.

How do you find crafting groups?

Start with Meetup.com, an internet composite of groups by area and type. Look for crafting meetups under the topic Hobbies and Crafts.  When you find a group of interest, click on “join us” for information, such as date of next meeting.

Becoming a member of a crafting group can increase your motivation,

It can reduce feelings of loneliness, and in general, give you the warm fuzzies.

Group crafting sessions are like the instant coffee of people meeting.

Join a group and watch your social life catapult. 

Extensive research corroborates that people without a circle of fiends are at risk fo premature death.

How Does Crafting Encourage Relaxation?

Crafting encourages deep relaxation.

You may find yourself immersed in the moment and drifting into a flow state, which is a form of mindful meditation.

The flow state is a descriptive term for what happens when you get so engrossed in your task that tick-tock time fades and internal chatter stops.

Creating some new thing occupies your mind and hands.

Worries and stress seem to melt away, as you enter the physical state of deep relaxation.

Research indicates that crafting is gaining popularity as a therapeutic healing practice.

Relaxation serves as a natural anxiety and stress therapy. It generates the opposite of the fight or flight response.

Improving Health & Well-Being

It's refreshing to hear that crafting is no longer regarded an elderly pursuit.

These days, crafts such as drawing, embroidery, crochet, etc. are en vogue, regardless of age.

Why?

• Because crafting is an awesome creative outlet.
• Because creativity leads to flow or the zone, where you are truly living in the moment.
• Because studies show that crafting decreases your risk of developing cognitive impairment.

Research reveals that crafting impacts health, well-being and quality of life in a positive manner.

Studies indicate that creative expression has a positive effect on health-related concerns, such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

And having a disability or long term medical condition isn't a barrier to taking part in crafting activities.

With assistive tools and aids anyone can take part. Some things may have to be done differently but the resources are available.  Why should you miss out on the fun!

So, whatever your age or ability take part and improve your wellbeing by crafting.

Let's get Crafting!

Resources

Handmade Wellbeing Handbook: Facilitating art and craft workshops for older people in care settings

Craft to Heal by Nancy Monsoon

This article first appeared on Card Making Circle.