Improve You Mood

Find yourself feeling a bit down? Are you overthinking a problem or feeling stressed? Doing some art and craft can improve your mood.

Activities that require you to slow down, and really engage are similar in effect to meditating. Mindfully enjoying a repetitive activity like painting, knitting, doodling or hand sewing can help in ‘switching off your brain’ from negative thought patterns or rumination. Entering a state of flow changes your physiology as breathing slows down, concentration increases and dopamine is released in the brain. Anxiety can seem to melt away and time can feel like it’s standing still when you deeply engage with an enjoyable, creative activity.

The key is to find an activity that you enjoy doing. If you find it frustrating, it won’t have the desired effect upon you. You’re looking for something that holds a natural rhythm, something with the same action repeated, and an activity that requires some concentration. If you think crocheting is fun, it’s a good choice, but don’t do it if you find it stressful, annoying or you just can’t get the hang of it.

It’s OK to take some time to experiment with different crafts until you find something that works for you. Rather than spend a lot of money on materials, only to find that you don’t actually like the process, see if someone you know can lend you the things you’ll need while you try it out. Or, find some cheaper, second hand materials to make a start.

The end result doesn’t really matter. The aim is not to build a side-hustle. This is all about the process, finding what you enjoy and being able to relax into an activity that will lift your perspective. As you get more practice, your skills will improve, but try not to be too worried about what you produce. By engaging with the creative part of your mind, you’ll get a different feeling of accomplishment when you’re finished whatever you’re creating.

Just keep in mind that creating in this way has a goal which has nothing to do with end product, but everything to do with the process. To quote an over-used saying, this is about the journey, not the destination. And if you can enjoy yourself along the way, you’ll improve your mood.