Live, Laugh, and DIY Yourself to a Healthier State of Mind

Image: http://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/putting-
theory-into-practice-the-heart-of-mental-health-field-work/

Crafting has always been a favorite activity of mine. It's fun, relaxing, and it's also a great way to get my mind off of things. Only after starting this blog and thinking more deeply about crafting did I realize the therapeutic qualities that crafting could bring out. I'm sure that sometimes you will notice groups doing craft projects as a way or part of therapy. “Why do that?” I thought. Why incorporate crafting into a therapy session? These were all the questions I wanted answered and this was just such an interesting topic that I wanted to learn more about, which lead me to do some digging and my findings were just so interesting that I had to share this information with you all (as a way to justify taking some time out to have some fun and do some crafting).

Throughout history, people have been engaged in crafting, both as a leisurely activity as well as also being a job. What many do not realize is that there is actually evidence to show that there are actual health benefits that come with this activity; that crafting is a great way to maintain mental health.

Therapeutic Nature of Crafting
According to the article, Craft as a Context in Therapeutic Change by Sinikka Pollanen, the author explains that crafting as a method of therapy or including craft within therapy has been linked to improved mental state. It can be a great way to maintain functional mental health or relieve stress because crafting can help take your mind off the stressors in your life by acting like a cognitive filter and minimizing any the feelings that were overwhelming or worrying you. It’s a great way to give your brain a break, sort of like a recovery period. 

Image: http://news.yale.edu/2012/08/12/yale-team
-discovers-how-stress-and-depression-can-shrink-brain

Stress Management
Managing your stress levels is very important to part of maintaining your health as well as your overall well-being. The right kind of stress (e.g. exercise) can be good for our brains; however, research has shown that brain erosion can occur from continual stress, meaning that stress can actually shrink your brain tissue if you don’t allow yourself to take a break!

Crafting is useful in achieving changes in areas such as:

• Emotions (anxiety, depression, motivation, imagery etc.)
• Cognition (learning skills, knowledge, attitudes, short and long-term retention etc.)
• Physiology (heart rate, respiration etc.)

…and many, MANY other areas.

Made this Lumpy Space Princess pen holder
after finishing my study sessions for my midterms.

Whether we think we need it or not, we all need to take a break from our stressful lives once in a while, so take some time out of your life to craft with me or have some fun!

As you can probably tell, my way of stress relief is to do DIY projects. How do you guys feel about this? I’d love to hear about some activities that you guys use as outlets to stress, so leave your comments below. 

Until next time~