Recent research has revealed a strong connection between fabric and feelings of calm and happiness. Doing a craft, such as knitting or crocheting, can help people cope with stress and anxiety. Both the repetitive actions of these crafts and the creativity involved offer mental health benefits. In this article, we will explore seven ways in which knitting can improve your mental health. Dr.
Barry Jacobs of Princetown University discovered that animals that perform repetitive movements trigger a release of serotonin, the neurotransmitter associated with calm and well-being. This is one of the reasons why knitting can be so beneficial for mental health. The repetitive and rhythmic movements that make up the fabric can help to relax the mind and body. In a study published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, researchers gave lessons and tissue supplies to 38 women recovering from eating disorders. The participants reported that knitting helped to lessen the intensity of their fears, clear their minds, and provide them with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
All participants in the study considered that the tissue had a positive impact on their recovery. When Corkhill surveyed more than 3,500 women weavers with Cardiff University, they found that the more often people knitted, the happier and calmer they said they felt. The same survey found that knitting in a group also improved people's calm, happiness, and excitement. Knitting can also help to improve cognitive functioning. The therapeutic effects of tissue range from stress reduction to better cognitive functioning, self-confidence and the ability to focus on the present. Knitting also helped to make their math, budgeting, and organizational skills more flexible through activities such as calculating measurements and purchasing knitting supplies. Finally, knitting can be used as an alternative to drugs or alcohol for those struggling with addiction.
Some participants even said that trying to knit became their “drug of choice rather than taking additional pain relievers.” The irony is that tissue itself is addictive, but the key is to change a truly self-destructive addiction to the relatively tame addiction of tissue. In conclusion, knitting has been proven to help with anxiety and has many mental health benefits. The repetitive motions of knitting and crocheting are to thank for these mental health benefits. Knitting can help to reduce stress, improve cognitive functioning, increase happiness and calmness, provide a sense of accomplishment, and even be used as an alternative to drugs or alcohol for those struggling with addiction.
