Learn a new craft
During last year’s Tokyo Olympics, UK diver Tom Daley wowed
the crowd not only with his incredible diving skills, but also with his
knitting talent. The cameras caught him knitting by the pool, in the stands,
even on the bus.
Like many people, he turned to learning a craft during the
lockdown days of the pandemic. And like knitters before him, he found it
incredibly soothing during anxious times.
It doesn’t have to be knitting. Even though much of the
scientific study around the benefits of craft has focused on knitting, there
are positive links between engaging in any creative occupation and physical and
mental wellbeing. Benefits include relaxation, stress relief, a sense of
accomplishment, and improved memory and concentration.
Crafts such as woodwork, knitting, crochet, and ceramics
focus on repetitive actions and a skill level that can always be improved upon.
Doing a craft we enjoy allows us to enter a ‘flow’ state, described as a
perfect immersive state of balance between skill and challenge.
Working on your craft can be solitary, but it can also allow
you to be social. One survey found knitting in a group improved knitters’
happiness, social contact and communication. Organisations like the Men’s Shed
movement offers men the opportunity to do collective woodworking, repair and
other productive activities, with participants reporting reduced levels of
depression.
Interested in trying a new craft? Upskill by searching for
YouTube tutorials, or look for a local craft community on Facebook or at your
local community college.