Hands busy, mind calmer

Hands busy, mind calmer

Photo by Mahsati Jalilli on Unsplash

There is something quite powerful about making things with our hands.

In a world that often rushes us and overwhelms us,  a craft can offer a pause -  a thread to follow when everything else feels tangled.

Repetitive crafts like knitting, crochet or felting can often lower cortisol (our stress hormone) and bring us into a meditative calm state.  In 2013 study in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that 81% of knitters with depression said it made them feel happier and over half reported feeling very happy while crafting. This state of deep Focus is often called “flow” a mental zone where time slows and we feel present.

A sense of control

When life feels chaotic, a craft project can offer something more manageable and tangible. Choosing colours, textiles or stitching stitches gives us a sense of control. Even tiny creative decisions remind us that we still have agency - even on the hard days.

Connection to self and others

Craft connects us with not just others -  but it also can help us connect with ourselves. Many of us (especially those who are Neurodivergent, introverted or in recovery) find comfort in non-verbal expression. Craft can offer this,  whether it's slow stitching or carving we find calming repetition and the meaning of the making.

 “Textile work is slow and quiet. It makes space for thought. It helps me to process.” - Clare Hunter Threads of Life. 

Crafting also connects us to heritage. Passing down skills of our ancestors, such as a woven basket or an embroidered motif is part of its bigger story.

Start small, start slow

You don't need fancy tools or a perfectly styled studio to start crafting. 

The craft doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be yours. You could try visible mending, pom-pom making, finger knitting, needle felting or journaling - just let your hands do to thinking and let something grow from nothing

Crafting won't fix anything but it can help as a steady kind of comfort. It can help us rest, connect and grow.