If you're feeling anxious, stressed, or depressed, many therapists will recommend staying busy with activities or crafts that keep your brain occupied - in a good way! However, you may ask yourself some critical questions - Does it really help? What does it actually do?
Making use of some type of crafting activity, whether it is drawing, painting, crochet, knitting, sewing, or colouring, can help you to become more in touch with your creative side. Doing some type of crafting activity is like doing mental exercise. It can significantly improve your mood and manage symptoms of depression and/or anxiety.
We all remember the fun hours spent colouring as children, right? Now, as teens and even adults, it can be used as a form of mindfulness. This means that while colouring, you are focused on the task at hand, allowing you to be fully present in the here-and-now. By focusing on staying in the lines and deciding which colours to use, for example, you are more in tune with what is happening right now.
Crochet and knitting, although sometimes frustrating, can also help manage anxiety. By following a pattern, deciding which colour yarn to use, getting a new project idea, and working steadily with your hands, you can start to feel more in control (quite the opposite of what anxiety makes you feel). It is also a form of mindfulness, similar to colouring and other crafting activities.
Now, don't get me wrong, taking part in these activities will not necessarily make depression, anxiety, or stress go away completely. Just like physical exercise is one way of managing the symptoms and improving your mindset, exercises of the mind can be one, too. As each and every person is unique, there is not a 'one-size-fits-all' approach, so you may need to try a few things before the puzzle piece fits!