
As someone who loves being crafty, you’re probably well aware of how relaxing crafting can be – the happiness of getting out a project bag or squirrelling away to a craft room for a few hours to lose yourself in your latest project. Focusing on a craft often puts us in a state of ‘flow’, having complete concentration on what you’re working on and being fully in the moment. When you’re thinking ‘how do I want to shape this, where does this stitch go, how do I want this to look?’ you’re not thinking the bundle of other thoughts that run through your head each day; crafting is a gift to ourselves to pause and just be.
This isn’t only conventional wisdom amongst crafters – studies by the American Journal of Public Health have shown that crafting reduces stress and anxiety and boosts positivity and connectedness.
So while I’m not going to suggest you eat a raisin (it’s a mindfulness thing) or hug a ball of wool (although that does sound kinda nice), here’s some ways you can actively encourage more mindfulness and relaxation into your crafting.
Use Your Senses

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We’re working with our hands, and a huge part of what makes crafting so wonderful is the tactile connection we can have with the materials and tools we work with. The next time you pick up a project, take a moment to really feel the texture of the fabric or materials. How does the embroidery hoop or paintbrush feel in your hand? Use all your senses to appreciate what you’re creating with. (more…)