Sometimes when I’m feeling depressed, anxious or overwhelmed, I find myself eschewing everything on my plate in favor of something much more pleasant: crafting.
Whether I opt for making friendship bracelets, sewing, knitting or watercolor painting (all crafty hobbies I’ve embraced over the last few years), having art to focus on always helps distract me from my stress and allows my mind to relax. Plus, when I finish a project, no matter how small, I always feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that I was able to work through a stressful moment.
This got me wondering if it was common for crafting to bolster mental health, and if there were any proven psychological benefits to crafting. So, we turned to Dr. Aimee Daramus, PsyD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Rockwell Behavioral Health in Chicago and the author of Understanding Bipolar Disorder and Healing as a Couple When You Both Have Trauma.
According to Dr. Daramus, there are plenty of psychological reasons to incorporate crafting into one’s routine. In fact, she has found that when someone crafts every day, they can experience five specific psychological benefits.
“There’s a reason that art therapy is a popular specialty!” she tells Parade.
Curious to learn more about the psychological benefits of crafting daily, how crafting can help mental health, who can benefit from crafting and the best crafts to consider? Keep reading for more expert insights.
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How Crafting Can Help Our Mental Health, According to a Psychologist
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“Crafting can help in a few different ways,” according to Dr. Daramus.
She continues:
“Crafting can help you reconnect with positive aspects of yourself,” she explains. “When you have depression, for example, you often feel like you’re not worth much, or that you’re always going to be messed up. Crafting is a way to reconnect with yourself, and the art object that you make is proof that there’s something meaningful and creative in you.”
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Who Can Benefit From Crafting?
“I think that anyone who’s interested can benefit from some kind of crafting,” states Dr. Daramus—with an emphasis on actually being interested in crafting. “If they’re not a crafter naturally, I’m not going to push it on them, because the goal is to be authentic to yourself.”
But if you are into artsy things or are genuinely interested in getting down and crafty, then she says this hobby is one that can make you feel really good inside.
“One of the most important reasons to craft is to have a reason to like yourself,” she adds. “We’d explore the craft that they can really get into. If a craft is repetitive or needs your full attention, I might recommend that for someone who could benefit from mindfulness.”
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People Who Craft Daily Can Experience These 5 Psychological Benefits, Psychologist Says
1. Mindfulness
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Traditional meditation isn’t the only path to experiencing mindfulness.
“For people who don’t vibe with sitting and breathing, you can be mindful of the stitch that you’re knitting, a hammer putting something together or the brushstrokes for a painting,” explains Dr. Daramus.
“Focusing on a project can also help with the dark thoughts that come with a mental health problem, or just life being life,” she adds. “Look at the colors, get into the rhythm of stitching, play some music that goes well with your project.”
2. Connection with friends
When you’re going through a difficult period of mental health, getting together with the people closest to you can often turn into discussions about your mental health. And although it’s important and lovely to have a strong support system, sometimes you’d rather focus on another topic—and introducing crafting into your hangouts with friends and family is a fantastic way to do that.
“Crafting with friends can help you reconnect with a support system that doesn’t focus on your problems,” explains Dr. Daramus. “You can offer someone help with a project, get help or make something to donate. Either way, it’s touchable evidence that you have worth to other people. They know that they have worth in your eyes.”
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3. Reduced financial stress
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Crafting skills can come in handy when it comes to repairing damaged or stained items—and that can lead to saving money. And as Dr. Daramus puts it, “more money in the bank is a big stress-reliever.”
“A sweater has a stain or a hole in it? Pull out the yarn and turn it into something else that you need,” she shares.
You can also “buy glue or nails to fix something instead of buying a replacement,” and treat these repair sessions like crafting sessions.
4. Connection with what you like about yourself
Art and crafting can help you “connect with traits that you like about yourself,” according to Dr. Daramus.
“Crafting can help you reflect your style more authentically than buying whatever’s in style,” she notes.
Things like building or remodeling furniture and painting “those boring but cheap coffee cups” can help you discover and express your personal style, and remind you what you like about yourself.
5. Emergency coping skills
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When you are forced to deal with a stressful event on your own, having a relaxing craft to turn to can help you cope and reduce stress in the moment.
“Sometimes something just happens unexpectedly. Not your fault, but it’s your problem to solve. You’ve got nothing but that craft that’s keeping you going,” shares Dr. Daramus. “By using it, you find that it can get you through the dark night and gives you a set of skills that don’t depend [on] other people. You can use these skills to keep yourself steady until your friends and family can help you (or if they can’t help at all).”
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Which Crafts Are Best for Mental Health
When it comes to what craft will be best for you, the only person who can answer that question is yourself.
“I encourage people to play and explore and find their own thing. It will work better if they pick their craft,” Dr. Daramus points out.
“It helps to have something small that you can carry with you everywhere, like a small sewing project,” she adds. “If you can’t do that, for example, if you make furniture, carry a journal or sketchbook so you can draw or make notes about your projects.”
That said, be mindful of your own limitations when getting into crafting.
“With some of my clients, there are safety risks,” says Dr. Daramus.
For instance, she wouldn’t recommend a recovering drug user to do any craft with paint, or any hobby that involves knives or sharp tools for anyone who has self-harm urges.
“Basically, find a craft that works as a mindfulness [tool] and connects you to a part of your true self,” she concludes. “Some fun doesn’t hurt either.”
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Source:
Dr. Aimee Daramus, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at Rockwell Behavioral Health and the author of Understanding Bipolar Disorder and Healing as a Couple When You Both Have Trauma.Hence then, the article about adults who craft every day often experience these 5 psychological benefits according to a psychologist was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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