Much like any other hobby, knitting can be a great way to distract one from any external pressures or scenarios causing one any unrest. I was introduced to knitting when I was 7 years old. My family had just moved to a new town, and I was having a hard time making friends. My mother was working at a bank at the time, and she and the other tellers would host a knitting club in the attic of the bank on Saturday afternoons. My mother decided to bring me, hoping I could start to feel as though I was wanted and accepted somewhere. Immediately, I fell in love and have never stopped knitting since.
I suffer from severe anxiety, which can trigger depressive episodes; this tends to really disrupt my life at times. Knitting has provided me with a way to occupy my mind in a way that is productive. I have found that it has helped me to relax and to relieve my stress.
Mental Health Benefits to Knitting
According to Optimist Daily, there are 5 major mental health benefits to knitting:
- Boost Happiness and Confidence
- Calm the Mind
- Reduce Loneliness
- Improve Your Health
- Reduce Stress
Physical Health Benefits to Knitting
Likewise, the New York Times has found that there could be physical health benefits to knitting:
- Helps Quit Smoking
- Improves Your Math Skills (not really health related but still super cool)
- Helps Control Weight
- Helps Combat Arthritis
- Improves Brain Function & Memory Loss With Aging
Give those websites a glance for more in-depth analysis and explanation of the benefits. There’s also an amazing book out there by Betsan Corkhill called “Knit for Health & Wellness: How to knit a flexible mind & more...” if you’d like to learn more!
