Whether you're a painter, or a sculptor, being crafty can benefit your body. Research studies show that crafting can have health benefits. Here are some of the benefits of being "crafty."
Being crafty reduces stress.
The repetitive motions that people who craft (ex: sewing, knitting, painting, etc) do can produce a calming effect equivalent to meditation. Constant and repetitive motion, such as knitting, can develop a rhythm. This rhythm can help peopl feel more relaxed, and if they have anxiety can help improve their condition.
Being crafty improves your mood.
Participating in crafting acitivities can aid in boosting one's mood. Crafting with other people can help increase a person's self-esteem and happiness in addition. Some people may find joy in accomplishing a task, in this case finishing their craft project. Others may find joy in giving, like giving their craft project to a loved one.
Being crafty helps people with eating disorders.
There was a small study performed in Canada that focused on 38 people with anorexia nervosa. These women were given knitting lessons for free, as researchers studied them. Most of the patients agreed that taking lessons lessened their fears with their eating disorder. These women found a sense of pride and accomplishment when focusing thier attention to crafting.
Being crafty helps people deal with chronic pain.
Many people have chronic pain and injuries due to the oversue of different body extremities. Chronic pain can be annoying, and it is difficult to get rid of. However, there was a study performed that focused on patients with chronic pain. Those who performed in the study reported that they felt an increase in purpose, and that the crafting activities were able to distract them from their chronic pain.
Being crafty prevents your brain from aging quicker.
As ridiculous as it may sound, crafting can help prevent the brain from developing issues with age, such as dimentia. Studies show that learning a new activity, such as crafting, can help delay dimentia. Cogntiive training improves reasoning skills, which can speed the brain's processing up to ten years. Crafting projects can work the memory and attention span parts of the brain. It can also help improve problem-solving abilities.
As a child I was really into crafts, and as I grew up my crafts grew up with me. I enjoy planning, yes it sounds a bit absurd, but I do. I enjoy printing out my own planner inserts, decorating them with stickers, and color-coding all of the tasks I need to accomplish with gel pens as well as stamp ink. Even though it isn't your "typical" craft acitivity, it gives me a reason to express myself, while still doing something that will be beneficial to myself, aka organization. Are there any crafting activities that you lean towards when wanting to escape reality?
