Self care isn’t selfish; it’s essential!

It’s no secret that the last 2 years have been challenging and anxiety-inducing. Anyone who says otherwise is probably not being honest.

2020 was all about Covid with nothing to tether to. 2021 came with a lot of hope but the roller coaster ride of stress and anxiety continued. Now, here we are in 2022, feeling like we’re reliving some sort of nightmare. And, that comes on top of life’s usual challenges.

How I’ve dealt with stress and anxiety

It’s taken a lot of effort to stay mentally afloat. What the past 2 years forced me to do was figure out how to take care of myself, not just physically but mentally and emotionally. At least for the time being that has to be priority number one. I’m no good to anyone else in my sphere until I’ve looked after myself first.

Thankfully, before the world seemed to crash, I already had some critical routines in place. Barre3 and walking with my sweet Daisy dog provide me the meditative exercise I need. I read before I fall asleep. I love to cook so just about every evening I’m putting delicious food on the table. I spend a lot of time with my family. All of these and more go into helping me take care of myself.

One of the most critical pieces of my self care, though, is crochet. While it isn’t the most important or dominant of all these strategies, I’ve come to understand how important crochet has been as a coping mechanism and mindful activity in maintaining a positive outlook. I suspect the same can be said for just about anyone who crochets.

“Crochet gives me an inner peace that I treasure each and every day.”

Judith Ferrett

Self care

While it can seem obvious what self care is and means, it’s amazing how many of us ignore taking care of ourselves. We feel like everyone else should come first and that it would be selfish to do something for ourselves.

Yes, it’s selfish, but not in a bad way. It’s proven that self-care is essential for maintaining good health. Ignoring it isn’t good for anyone.

So, what IS self-care?

• Self-care refers to those activities that we do with the intention of increasing our energy, restoring health and/or reducing stress.
• Self-care can also be about understanding and managing the emotions and reactions that we have to things that occur in our day to day life. 

Crochet as self care

Research has shown that crochet has quantifiable health benefits. Who knew that one of our favorite hobbies could be so good for us?!

Here’s an example: An International study exploring the effects of crochet on wellbeing concludes: The data suggests that crochet offers positive benefits for personal wellbeing with many respondents actively using crochet to manage mental health conditions and life events such as grief, chronic illness and pain. Crochet is a relatively low-cost, portable activity that can be easily learnt and seems to convey all of the positive benefits provided by knitting. This research suggests that crochet can play a role in promoting positive wellbeing in the general population, adding to the social prescribing evidence base.

Here’s another example: The Craft Yarn Council has conducted yearly surveys whose respondents overwhelmingly reported the health benefits of crocheting/knitting. Recent surveys indicate crafting relieves stress, helps crafters slow down and is deemed an important form of self-care. That’s great news in my book!

“If more people knitted and crocheted, the world would see fewer wars and a whole lot less road rage.”

Lily Chin

Six benefits of crochet as self care to your mental health

1. Crochet helps relieve stress and anxiety by keeping the mind focused and the hands busy.
2. Crochet can help relieve depression by releasing serotonin. According to a study done by the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, a majority of respondents reported feeling ‘happy’ after knitting. The same can be true of crochet.
3. Crochet boosts self-esteem with a sense of accomplishment when a project is completed.
4. Crochet improves memory and math skills as you work through a written pattern.
5. Crochet can help you make social connections – whether in person or online – that are supportive and add a point of contact where normally there wouldn’t be one.
6. Research has shown consistently that repetitive motion allows the brain to step back and zone out (be sure to choose a simpler pattern)

Remember I mentioned that yearly survey by the Craft Yarn Council. Because of those results, they’ve created a program called “Stitch Away Stress” to bring awareness to how stitching can relieve stress and anxiety. Find out more about Stitch Away Stress here.

You may already have what you need.

Crochet is one of the best tools you have in your self-care toolbox. I’ve always known that crochet was important to me but I didn’t really understand how I could truly use it in my self care regime. I now make a conscious choice to turn to crochet when stress and anxiety start to rear their ugly heads.

If you crochet, no matter how advanced your skills, you can turn that crochet into a self-care tool that helps you navigate life’s rough patches.

In the next post, I’ll talk about some ways you can get the most out of your crochet time so you’ll be refreshed and ready to take on the world!

January is Crochet for Me month!

I’ve put together a collection of 15 patterns that are perfect as you pick your next project…just for you! And, remember. Anytime of the year is a good time to put yourself first.

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