Win a 1-night stay for 2 at The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences in London’s Mayfair

Crafting your way to better health

By LLM Reporters   |  

You may not have considered crafting as a way of improving your health, but settling down to complete a cross stitch puzzle or paint a piece of pottery is a fantastic way of living a healthier lifestyle and boosting your mood. Art is something that aims to stimulate the mind, encourage creativity and can even help when it comes to socialising and making friends. With this in mind, here’s how to craft your way to better health:

Get knitting
According to a study by the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, out of 3,500 knitters 81% with depression reported feeling happier after indulging in their hobby. It is a task that requires all your concentration, ability and time; focusing on a craft such as knitting can help you forget your worries, reduce your stress levels and at the end of it all have something you can show others that you have made yourself.

Try something new
If you’re a dab hand with a paintbrush on paper why not push the boundaries and try painting something new? Taking on a furniture project, such as upcycling an old table or simply picking up a pottery kit, can give you a taste for something new as well as a real sense of achievement when you’ve finished.

Take a class
Always wanted to learn how to arrange flowers or make pottery from scratch? Then a class is a great way of boosting your knowledge as well as your mental health as you meet and socialise with like minded people regularly while learning your new skill. Socialising is important for good mental health and spending time outside the house, doing something you enjoy and taking time for yourself, is an excellent way of relieving stress.

Take pride in your work
Hang your crafts on the wall, gift them to friends, donate them to charity, but whatever you do don’t forget to take pride in the finished product and share it with everyone you know. Receiving praise is a great way of boosting happiness and feeling proud of oneself is important when it comes to navigating the world in a more positive light as well as improving your general wellbeing.

Boost your brainpower
There are numerous studies into the power of crafting and what effect concentrating on a task has on the brain. Studies have discovered that stimulating certain areas of the brain and being creative has a positive effective on memory and cognitive abilities, which can go on to reduce our chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia at an earlier age.

So with all this in mind isn’t it time you stocked up on your supplies – we recommend picking up a kit from a site such as Home Crafts – and got to work on your next project?

Main image above credit: pixabay.com/MabelAmber