Crafting Is Amazing for Your Brain – Here’s Why

Neuroscience is finally proving the mental health advantages of crafting and we couldn’t be happier. In knitting’s case, for instance, there are the repetitive motions and patterns that make us feel more relaxed and calm. In other project’s case, there is the creative approach that boosts our mindfulness. Regardless, many experts claim that crafting is slowly becoming the new “yoga” of our days. As passionate crafters and DIY enthusiast, this being so much joy. But below are some ways in which crafting is contributing to our wellness and relaxation.

Crafting has similar effects to meditation

In many handy hobbies’ case, the intricate patterns and repetitive motions have a similar effect as meditation. For instance, knitters can lose themselves in hours of creation of tricky, intricate and complex designs. During the process, the person is completely absorbed in the activity, a notorious psychologist claims, which seems to block external signals, including stressors. According to Csikszentmihalyi, this is the way to happiness, and this is a statement based on years of research and surveys. Regardless of the type of DIY or crafting activity which you like to lose your attention into, the same rule applies. And you become happier, relaxed, just as you do after a long meditation session. The notion of time disappears miraculously, you lose yourself in an activity and you become part of a larger project. And just as meditation, crafting can reduce stress and decrease inflammation in a wide range of organs. If the project of choice is one that involves repetitive motions, it promotes a feeling of relaxation. Our bodies cannot tell the difference between life-threatening and non-life-threatening stressors, which increases the alertness in which we find ourselves daily. However, repetitive motions or activities developed on a repetitive pattern seem to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which neutralizes the fight or flight state.

No need for chemical anti-depressants

When crafting, the reward centre in your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter “guilty” for the happiness levels experienced by one. This happens usually when we perform pleasurable tasks, whether we’re speaking about installing bathroom panels on our own, knitting or crafting our own nightstands. Dopamine of itself is the anti-depressant our brain is helping itself with, so if you’re feeling down, you might not even need medication. You might simply need a handy and crafty hobby to help yourself with. A study published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy showed that more than 80% of the respondents were feeling happier after a knitting session. While you may not be able to install by yourself your interior wall panels, picking up knitting as a hobby, might, in fact, combat depressive thoughts and improve the happiness levels experienced in your daily life.

Creative activities prevent brain ageing

If you want to maintain a youthful brain, pick up a creative activity and do it daily! Dementia is currently manifesting in people at an alarming frequency. By 2050, the number of sufferers is expected to triple. This debilitating condition decreases the life quality of the patients, but also of their families. In order to prevent it, experts advise getting involved in creative activities. Unlike in the past, when neuroscientists believed that the brain is a static organ, which after its full development in our 20s, begins to decline, recent research has proven that brain cell decline can be effectively prevented by getting involved in creative activities, as these are proven to delay the brain cell deterioration process. Learning a new language, learning a new skill, being involved in a new hobby have the amazing potential of preventing cerebral atrophy and preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. By doing so, you can make your brain younger by even 10 years, a recent study showed. Crafting, on the other hand, involves various areas of the brain and improves attention span, making the usual manifestations of an ageing brain diminish or even disappear completely, after a while.

Why occupational therapies that involve crafting are increasingly popular?

Anyone can benefit from creating new things, DIY projects and even art. However, many with conditions from certain spectrums seek professional assistance while doing so. Occupational therapy or art therapy has become widely used by individuals suffering from high-stress levels, mental health disorders, brain injuries, learning disabilities and even chronic illnesses, to alleviate the symptoms of their disorders. Anxiety, depression, PTSD, these affections have been proven to be better managed by those involved in crafting and art therapy sessions. While picking up a hobby on yourself is manageable, in some circumstances, the help of a professional occupational therapist might be more than valuable.

As a series of studies and research papers have shown, crafting comes with an array of mental health benefits, but also cognitive advantages. While brain cell decay is a normal process, it can be successfully delayed by picking up the right crafting hobbies.