Life happens right? We all go through ups and downs, the last few years have really highlighted that for all of us I would imagine. But what do we do when things get really hard? If you’re anything like me the first thing to go is time I spend playing around in my craft room. I feel guilty if I ‘waste’ time on myself when there are others that need my help or things I need to be doing…all day long.
But just as when a woman becomes a new mother the phrase that is repeated over and over is that you have to look after yourself first or you will be of no use to your baby. You have to put on your air mask first or you can’t help those around you! If you don’t ensure your physical and mental health is doing as well as it can you can’t give everywhere else you need to for very long. You might manage for a while, but not for an extended amount of time. And this is a different length of time for everyone, some need alone time after just a few hours, some can cope for weeks but eventually it will catch up with you. And when it does it’s often not pretty! ?
So, keeping your hands busy does so much for you. You might be an outdoor person who gets joy from working in their garden or going for a walk, which is awesome and I love a good walk too. But if we are talking about crafts there are many different things that bring joy, it might be tactile, you just need to get your hands on some fibre, some glue, your knitting needles, wet clay. Or it might be visual, you need the colour, the variety the design elements help your mind take flight.
And it needs to, you need to be able to get stuck in and leave all those cares behind you, even if just for a little while. If you tend to loose yourself and could go half the day before you know it, set a timer. Don’t disregard getting into something fun just because you can’t stay all day, even half an hour will help! Prioritize it, because you can’t just keep going and going without having something for yourself as well. The small joys in life make everything better and your outlook more positive.
I hope this helps even just one person out there, obviously we have had some big stuff happening lately at my place and I just really felt called to share this with you all today. As I dabble in my craft room I begin to feel normal again, picking up projects I’ve been working on I get a little charge to complete them and remember who they were for and why I love what I do.
Check out these great resources or have a hunt for your own info if you want to know more about this.
Happy felting everyone! And take care of yourself!
4 reasons craft is good for your mental health
8 ways crafts can benefit our physical and mental health
Crafting for Health
Arts and Crafts; the surprising mental health benefits
